What's a Witch
by Mslead
Summary: Lucy had an average but happy life. She didn't ask to get dragged into a multi-dimensional war with a happy-go-lucky Demon King. One who couldn't eat a bowl of oatmeal without splattering it on his face. Still, until she figured out a way to break the spell binding them together, Lucy guessed she was stuck with him. NALU.
1. What's a Witch?

If there was one thing Lucy was beginning to realize, it was that her life had taken a sudden and strange turn. Somewhere along the line she had left sanity and common sense behind. She missed the days where all she had to worry about was getting her assignments for her online classes finished. Not to mention only having to worry about one roommate, her dog Plue.

Now that was no longer the case, as the main cause for her mounting stress was sitting at her kitchen table. Natsu Dragneel, the Great Demon King. Whatever he wanted to call himself, he was the current tenant sharing her apartment. Much to both of their displeasure, it seemed like it was going to be a permanent arrangement. At least for the foreseeable future.

Why was there a demon sitting at her breakfast table and glaring at his oatmeal? Lucy wasn't so sure on the particulars herself. Only that they had both been at the wrong place at the right time which resulted in their predicament. Natsu was chained to the human realm, which didn't seem to bother him so much.

He was looking for something – or someone, and until he got them he didn't intend on leaving the human realm.

The only problem was that Lucy had somehow been the one to trap him and seal most of his powers.

The oatmeal boiled under his heavy glare. Natsu's reactions early in the morning weren't the sharpest, so as he glared at his breakfast food it bubbled close to his face. He had just enough time for an 'oh shit' expression before it exploded in his face and splattered what had been Lucy's clean table.

Unfortunately, not _all_ of his powers had been sealed.

He was the Demon King. The leader of his people and the most powerful of his kind. Until Lucy _neutered_ him, as Natsu liked to say.

He was still immensely powerful, having access to draconic magic of a similar nature to his own demonic curses. It was knowledge that Lucy was both grateful and exasperated over. He was strong enough that he could defend them from the random demonic attack, but also strong enough to completely smash her apartment if he wasn't careful. He often went overboard, and this was the third building she had to move into thanks to the 'mysterious' fires that enveloped the previous two locations.

Lucy sighed and flopped down across from Natsu, throwing a towel she was using for her damp hair in his face. She saw how he had been eyeing the table runner and didn't want him to clean up with something decorative. Although she wasn't sure why she bothered keeping anything nice out on display since they all met a rather gruesome fate from her destructive roommate.

He wasn't so bad despite his destructive habits and the massive grocery bills she footed to feed his voracious appetite. Sure, Natsu could be rude and even oblivious at times, but he was straightforward in a way that was refreshing. In a time where people hid behind computer screens and always played a game of politics to spare another's feelings, it was nice for Natsu to do the exact opposite. He was a new species of man Lucy wasn't familiar with, but she supposed that was to be expected. He was a demon after all.

She watched him pout at her before he got to work getting a glob of oatmeal out from his pink bangs.

That was another thing so strange about him. Pink hair.

It occurred to her at that moment, that aside from his name and occupation, she knew absolutely nothing about Natsu.

Much less demons and dragons.

She had managed to gather there was some sort of demonic civil war going on, with Natsu allied with the dragons and fairies on one side, and a 'flowery-petal-pusher' leading the opposition. Mardi Gras or something.

Natsu's words, not hers.

Aside from that minor knowledge though, Lucy didn't know much else. Not why he was here, if he was on the good side or bad side of the war, and what he intended on doing if he won it.

Natsu whined and scrubbed furiously at a stubborn chunk of breakfast food clinging to his hair.

Such a _terrifying_ king.

"Hey Natsu," Lucy began, catching his dark eyes when they rose to her, "Why do you know draconic magic?"

Seeing that he looked more surprised than curious, Lucy hastened to clarify, "I mean, you're a demon. And you use demonic curses, but you also use draconic magic. I've seen it."

The demon stilled, his hand still bunched around a few chunks of his hair. His eyes were focused on her, contemplating an answer. Or not. Sometimes he just ignored her questions and took a nap instead. It looked like he was leaning towards the nap if Lucy was getting better at reading his expressions.

"I was adopted by a dragon," Natsu said after a moment. She noticed how his voice seemed to drop a few octaves. His voice was thick with memories. It didn't take a genius to realize not all of those memories were good, "Igneel. He was killed by demons."

Silence fell between them. Lucy didn't know what to say. Heck, she didn't know what she had been expecting either. Certainly not that he had been raised by a dragon.

How had he, a demon, been raised by a dragon? How could he have been a king among demons, but just a child? Lucy's head spun in confusion, but Natsu didn't seem interested in talking about it anymore. He had picked up Plue and set him on the table. Lucy was forced to watch with disgruntled dismay as her dog licked up the oatmeal that had dirtied the surface.

She really hoped dogs could eat oatmeal.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu looked up from where he had been praising Plue's good work.

"Hmmmm?"

Lucy heard the scrape of the chair when he stood up. She watched him move towards her, his tanned hand bracing itself next to her. Lucy didn't even need to look up at him to know he had a goofy smile on his face. It would take a single glance up at that bright, pretty smile, and Lucy would find herself smiling back in response. The demon was up to no good about ninety percent of the time, she didn't want to encourage him.

He didn't make it easy to ignore him though.

Lucy found her vision filled with Natsu, leaning in very close and shattering her personal space in only a way he could. She could see the green and gold in his dark, almost black eyes. They surprised her with their intensity and beauty. She felt a sudden flare of heat rise to her cheeks and she backed away from him, scooting her entire chair back.

"Hey! Personal space, don't you know what that is?" Lucy half stammered, half screeched.

Natsu's head jerked back at the sudden change of volume. He scowled, rubbing his ears, "Sure I do. You just weren't paying attention to me!"

"Yes I was, I just wasn't looking at you" Lucy shot back at the demon, a challenging pout on her face.

"Same thing" Came a short reply.

Was not!

Ugh, how was it he could reduce her to the blathering argument a three year old would have. He did it with such ease and no shame in his childish pouting. Pouting that appeared as quick as his sunny smile. She rubbed her temples, telling herself it was far too early in the day to get exasperated. Lunchtime maybe, but not Breakfast.

"What was it you wanted Natsu?" Lucy asked him. He was waiting for her to say something, sharp eyes narrowing with impatience. She complied fast, not wanting him to ignite his fingers out of boredom. Playing with fire was strictly prohibited in the house, but that hadn't stopped him before. Natsu was a rule breaker to the core.

"_Want_?" Natsu asked her, repeating the question. He said it like it was a foreign word, rolling it around his mouth in such a way it sounded almost like a purr. Lucy had to remind herself that Natsu's wasn't speaking in his native tongue. Whatever language demons spoke sounded more like grunting and growls. So perhaps he was trying to figure it out.

His lips pulled from sharp canines, pearl white and gleaming in the morning light. Lucy couldn't help a strange shudder run up her spine at the sight of them. They were a reminder, that despite Natsu's friendly and human appearance, he was a demon. What was it her mother used to say? Lucifer was beautiful.

Did that make Natsu the devil?

"I want a lot of things," Natsu answered, a wicked grin spreading over his face. Lucy wasn't sure she liked that look in his eyes, "But for now, I'll settle on us figuring out a way to get me some space from you."

Lucy was oddly hurt by that rather straightforward comment, "Space?"

"Well yeah," Natsu said, a trifle impatient, "Last time you went on a date with that loser, you forgot I couldn't leave your side. When you got in the car I was dragged screaming through the interstate."

Oh. That's right.

Lucy supposed she could understand his dislike on the restriction. That had been early on in their bond, so they hadn't quite realized the boundaries on it. Natsu had discovered the hard way that he was not going to win against this spell through sheer stubbornness. Lucy had a feeling he wasn't used to admitting defeat like that.

Although the sight of Natsu wobbling around after her date when he finally caught up to her had been a little humorous. If he hadn't been a demon, his scrapes and bruises probably would have been more severe. As it was, he stumbled over a mailbox, fell into a bush, and swore profanely at a squirrel that crawled into his hair. It was still around her apartment somewhere…

Seeing that Lucy understood, Natsu continued, "Since you don't know how your weirdo witchy powers work to remove the seal on me, I want us to go to a medium."

"Like a psychic?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, the skeptic in her making itself known. Natsu pouted at the wry smirk on her face, "Oh come on Natsu, you can't be serious! You want to go see Sister whatever-her-face?"

Natsu crossed strong arms over his chest, his hip balancing on her table. He snorted, deep sarcasm on his face, "What, a demon sitting at your kitchen table is okay but you draw the line at people who can see the future? Besides we're going to talk to a medium, not a psychic. Spirits. Totally different."

"Most of them are absolute frauds, Natsu" Lucy interrupted and wagged a finger at the demon. His eyes followed the motion like a cat. She was almost afraid he would bite it off if given the opportunity, "They're charlatans. Con artists!"

"They sound like my kind of people!" Natsu grinned, unconcerned. He turned his pleading gaze towards her, "C'mon Luce, it'll be fun!"

Seeing that he wasn't going to give up on this she sagged in defeat. She did sort of owe him for dragging him through thirty miles of interstate, but after this they were square.

"Alright fine," Lucy huffed and rubbed her temples, "I don't see how a medium is supposed to help figure out how to break the spell on you, but I guess we can go."

Natsu cheered and reached forward, sliding his fingers through her wet hair. Lucy jerked her head back in response, but Natsu caught the motion with his hands, his large, calloused hands circling the base of her head.

"Whoa easy. You can't go out with wet hair, you humans are so fragile when you get sick," Natsu sighed, pretending to already be bored with Lucy's embarrassed stammering. She saw the mischievous grin he tried to hide, which was evidence contrary to what he said.

"I have a hair dryer for precisely this reason," Lucy's cheeks puffed out, but she complied with his demands and held still. It was sort of nice, his fingers trailing through her hair. They were just warm enough to dry her hair, sliding easily through the locks of her hair. He managed to keep them smooth instead of the frizzy mess the dryer usually whipped her hair into.

"Takes forever," Natsu grunted in response, his eyes sharp with concentration. His fingers slid across her scalp, the warmth seeping into her body through her temples. Lucy sighed, her eyes closing despite everything telling her not to.

All too soon, Natsu was done and his soothing touch pulled away from her head. His dark eyes glittered like obsidian. When Lucy opened her eyes, she found herself wishing, not for the first time for a peek inside his head. Natsu was almost impossible to get a read on. She feared at this rate, she never would.

"There, all done," He grinned broadly, his hands resting at his hips. Lucy glared at them, a little envious, "Now you can spent the next six hours getting ready instead of the eight it would normally take!"

And just like that, all of her good thoughts for Natsu went flying out the window. She flushed with embarrassment and gave him a sour look. So what if she took some time to get ready in the morning? _It wasn't six hours!_ The exaggerating jerk.

Sensing danger, Natsu cleared his throat and backed away, circling around the table to use as a barrier between him and Lucy.

"Ah, well better go get ready myself!" Natsu laughed, a little on the nervous side. It was as if he could sense Lucy's glare burning a hole into the side of his face, because he quickly retreated back into his room as if his shoes had been set on fire.

Lucy groaned and rubbed at her temples.

She wasn't going to make it to Lunchtime at this rate.

—::—

Together they headed to the medium's house. The one that Natsu absolutely insisted on seeing. Lucy wasn't sure why, because it meant they had to drive about two hours to see her. Two miserable hours with Natsu in the car. She had to yank the demon back into his seat several times as he tried to make a mad escape out the window. He settled down, drooling miserable on her interior window, his eyes glassy and unfocused thanks to the rolling in his stomach.

Lucy smiled at his whimpering and rolled down the window halfway so he could get some fresh air. He already proved himself untrustworthy for the whole window to be rolled down. She didn't need to explain why her roommate suddenly went flying out of her car going seventy down the interstate.

By the time they arrived, Natsu was crawling on the pavement, looking miserable and not even a little like the fearsome demon he was. Lucy nudged his butt with the toe of her shoe, snorting at the deflated sounds he made. It was almost worth it to see the rambunctious demon get a taste of his own medicine for once. At his groaning though, she felt pretty bad about teasing him. Lucy bent down, taking his arm and helping him back to his feet, slinging his muscular arm over her shoulder.

"You really have an embarrassing weakness," Lucy hobbled with him over to a nearby park bench for him to sit down, "Is it like this way with all modes of transportation?"

Natsu whimpered, his head nodding with a weakness she wasn't sure looked good on him. She fetched a water bottle from her purse and unscrewed it. Natsu had closed his eyes when she turned away, so she had to hold it under his nose to catch his attention.

"Here, drink."

One dark eye opened. With miserable reluctance, the other eye cracked open again. His gaze focused on the water bottle in front of him, staring at it as if it was some sort of foreign object.

"Huh?" He asked, taking it from her, eyes drawing to her face. There was that same strange, intense glow to his eyes from before but for the life of her she couldn't decipher its meaning.

"It's water, drink it," Lucy explained, "You'll feel better once you do."

He blinked at the explanation, but lifted it to his mouth and took a small sip without complaint. Natsu seemed more mystified by this remedy than what should be normal. He was still staring at her like she had grown a second head.

"Weirdo…" He mumbled under his breath and turned away. He kept sipping his drink, putting an end to the conversation with his quiet word.

"Yeah, well I'm not the one who gets carsick thirty seconds into the vehicle moving," Lucy snorted. She was pleased when his answering grunt was stronger than before. The color appeared to be returning to his cheeks too. It filled her with a sense of relief.

"Come on the person we're meeting is sort of an impatient guy, we should probably go," Natsu grinned and capped the water. Lucy stood with him, pleased his smile had returned, "I'm feeling better already, so thanks Lucy."

She just grinned as they walked together towards an old, modest looking house. They climbed a set of creaky old stairs that sagged under their weight when they walked. Natsu didn't seem to notice the decrepit state the house was in. He knocked so hard on the door, the hinges rattled on their old frame, "Oy! Milk-witch! Open up, it's Natsu!"

An irate voice snapped from just on the other side of the door, "Who else would it be?"

The door swung open, a foul tempered woman standing there, her hands on her hips and her long black hair hanging in a straight curtain down her back. She gave Natsu a critical glare, "My name is _Milkovich_, not 'Milk-witch'"

Natsu looked confused, "Yo Ultear! Isn't that what I said?" He asked.

No one was paying him any attention, instead Lucy was staring at the woman in front of her with a slightly slack jawed expression, "You…"

Ultear leveled a smug look on Lucy, "Didn't I warn you we would see one another again?"


	2. Mr Botany

Natsu wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, Lucy already knew Ultear and that saved him some time. How, he had no idea. Lucy had little to no contact with the otherworld until Natsu had come crashing into her life in the most literal sense of the word.

He broke in through the roof of a women's restroom trying to wrestle a basilisk. Lucy had screamed for a solid minute and threw strange, spongy packages wrapped in plastic paper at him.

_'__Which reminds me, I needed to speak to this JKR person and give them a hard shake. I'm tired of hunting down baby basilisks. Imps keep throwing them in womens restrooms and I only get kicked in the face for my trouble,'_He thought, diverted from the conversation happening around him. Or rather the gape mouthed staring contest Lucy was having with the block of ice that was Ultear. He snorted, thinking about his shitty, frosty, annoying, bastard, dick of a lieutenant that was waiting for him to return back to the underworld.

Oh wow. He got _super_ distracted.

Natsu ruffled the back of his head as he stared at the silent women, his thoughts orienting himself when he saw how pale Lucy looked. Lucywas an innocent human who really had no part in the war that was tearing Natsu's world apart. Somehow she had gotten involved in something she wasn't prepared to handle, so Natsu was hesitant to drag her into it any further than he already had. It was already ugly and ruining her life. They hadn't even scratched the surface yet.

Still, how could a human, with supposedly no special gifts or powers, bind him? Not even one of the most powerful witches in the world could do it. He would know, because Ultear had tried before she had an alignment shift.

Maybe there was more to Lucy than he originally thought. His eyes sharpened on Lucy, hiking his scarf up around his face. Fire was burning in the back of his throat, caution and tension coiling up in the pit of his stomach. He didn't find Lucy a threat.

No. He was concerned about what Lucy's powers could do to threaten _her_.

Because if she had a gift. Her entire life was about to change.

He supposed there was no use worrying about it if there was no changing her fate. At worst, she would have to pick a side to fight for. At best, she would have to move to a low traffic location and keep her head down. The latter action was probably for the best if he were honest. She was an untrained … whatever she was.

A witch?

He didn't know.

Well whatever, she had him to help her out! So long as it didn't involve anything boring like studying grimoires or magical books. That was just snoozeville all over the place.

Whatever she was. She was powerful enough to partially entrap him. She hadn't been able to snuff out all of his powers. He still had full access to his dragon slaying magic and a little of his demonic curses. He hoped Ultear could give them some of the answers they were looking for, even if she was crazy expensive. She didn't even do a family and friend's discount!

He watched the women still gawping at one another in absolute silence, impatience crawling up his spine. Were they just going to stare at one another all day or get anything done?

Natsu slammed his palm flat on the table to catch the women's attention, an unapologetic grin plastered on his face, "Good! You two know one another! I thought it would save me some time, but you two are just sorta staring at one another – so can we get down to business?"

The look Ultear gave him was icy. Huh, so he guessed she still didn't forgive him for those years he kept calling her a man because he honestly thought she was one. She used some very convincing magic after all in the past, had it really been so difficult to think the opposite?

Natsu shrank back far enough from Ultear to hide behind one of her massive houseplants. He blinked as he felt teeth from the greenery sink into his wrist.

What the hell kind of house plants did this woman have?! He hissed, trying to tug his hand free from the weird vine that decided he looked delicious. Instead the vine twisted around his arm like a snake.

Weird. His fingers were going numb. He shrugged it off.

Business as usual.

"Natsu, I will turn you into the salamander you are so aptly named after if you keep making so much noise in my house," Ultear said with a lofty smirk. Her dark eyes were drifting between Natsu and Lucy. She gestured for Lucy to take a seat, sliding right over Natsu. It was as if she thought it was better to ignore him and hope he went away. Natsu grinned, how wrong she was!

He dragged the plant next to him, ensuring its heavy pot scraped loud, screeching noises across the floor. Ultear gave him a bland look, which he met with a winning smile. He plopped down next to Lucy, setting the water bottle down on the tabletop. He stared at it, wondering why he felt an odd flip in his chest when it caught his eye. Her mentioning how water was supposed to help his motion sickness wasn't normally true for him, but what he found strange was that it worked. It was like the fact that _Lucy_ had given it to him made him feel better. More magic?

Maybe.

Although he had the feeling the answer was simpler.

"What are you here in my shop for?" Ultear asked, her voice snapping Natsu from his thoughts.

Lucy chose this moment to finally drag herself from whatever weird thoughts were occupying her mind. Natsu could just see the way her jaw stiffened with determination and the brown in her eyes hardened. She was preparing to go into battle. Not one with fists, swords, or magic, but an internal fight. Guilt gnawed at Natsu's heart, and for the first time in his long life, he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing.

"I don't know how, but I accidentally sealed Natsu to me, we need to find a way to reverse the spell or figure out a way to loosen it," Lucy shot her gaze back and forth between Ultear and where Natsu was still trying to untangle himself from the botany trying to kill him. She waited for a moment, contemplating her words. She added a quiet 'Please', which almost had Natsu snorting in amusement.

Ultear looked very surprised. Whether it was because Lucy had manners or that she was so assertive, Natsu couldn't tell. All he knew was that Ultear looked at a loss for words, which was amazing considering the woman so often had complete control over any situation.

She shifted her dark curtain of hair off her shoulder, extending her hands towards Lucy. Natsu grunted and punched the plant that was trying to curl around his arm and reach for the water bottle he left on the table.

An entire minute ticked by in absolute silence. Natsu, accustomed to it, used the time to try and wrestle his new friend Mr. Botany into submission. Lucy was giving him a flustered and embarrassed scowl, although Natsu could not for the life of him understand why. Ultear didn't care about that sort of thing. If Ultear cared, she would have turned him into the salamander like she promised.

"I see a powerful connection between the two of you," Ultear intoned, dark eyes glazed over and unfocused. It was clear that whatever she was seeing had disturbed her. The way Natsu saw the corners of her mouth tug down into a frown had his heart falling into his stomach.

"I cannot remove it, it is beyond my powers. Only the host has a hope of lifting it," Ultear glanced at Lucy, "Which is you."

"Ehhhh?!" Lucy all but shrieked. Natsu's ears rung in pain, and Mr. Botany used that distraction to yank him out of his chair.

"But how?! I don't have any powers! I don't know how to take this stupid bond thing off!" Lucy stammered. He was annoyed to find her looking at him as if he were at fault for their situation. To be fair, he probably was, but the accusation still stung.

"Well that's not true," Natsu supplied, dropping his cheek on the table as he climbed up from the floor. He slapped his palm against the tabletop, completely reassured now. He had thought Ultear was going to say it was permanent! But if Lucy had to remove it, she wasn't telling him anything new, "You cast the magic, so duh. You can lift it."

He grinned at her with a smile as wide as his face. She did it once, she could do it again. There was no rush.

Aside from the underworld war roaring on around them…

Details.

Regardless he had faith in Lucy. She was strong and resilient. Not many other humans would have been able to handle their situation with the resolve Lucy had. Sure she was lacking in grace. A lot of it. But there was no expecting any human to be graceful at all in that situation.

Still, he could have done with a little less terrified screaming and tampons thrown in his face.

His words seemed to pull Lucy up short. The woman was giving him a weird look again. He raised an eyebrow at her, shoving his plant away from him, wrestling the water bottle from it. He leaned in close to her, giving her a skeptical look.

"What's with the weird look on your face?" Natsu asked, "Are you constipated?"

"Am I con—? " Lucy started. Her face turned an interesting shade of red. The temperature in the room began to drop and a trickle of fear ran down Natsu's spine, "_No I'm not constipated you idiot_!"

He grinned and waved a dismissive hand to try and diffuse the atmosphere of death he had invited. Natsu really hoped Lucy was as easy to distract as he was at times. Besides, they really _did_ have other things to talk to Ultear about.

His smile fell off and he gave her a stern look, "Whatever. We weren't here to talk about the bond or your potty issues Lucy. Get it together."

The way she gaped at him after he said that almost made the Lucy-kick he got in his kidney worth it.

Ultear was rubbing her temples, looking exhausted already. It was as if Natsu's presence alone was sucking all her energy from her body. He rejoiced in the small victory, cackling even as he was doubled over his side. Lucy left a nice shaped boot print right on his shirt.

"I need you to contact the _otherside_," Natsu straightened, brushing a hand across his side, "As private a channel as you can open, I need to talk to Happy."

Ultear looked wary, and with good reason. To open a channel with the spirit world would mean exposing herself to possession. Spirits themselves were often incapable of possessing a spirit medium without their express permission. However that did not mean it was always secure. There were other mediums that liked to listen into conversations and attempt to take control. It was like spyware on a computer, or tapping into a phoneline.

Only the consequences were a touch more dire.

Ultear was no stranger to possession. She had done more than her fair share of possessing other mediums. The young Jellal Fernandez for example, one of the Fairies, had fallen out of the light thanks to such manipulation. The lasting damage still lingered in the shape of his tattered wings as he tried to redeem himself. After Ultear was brought into the light, she joined Jellal in his attempts to atone. As such, they were some of the few with powerful gifts that remained in the human realm.

"I suppose I could attempt the connection," Ultear said after a moment of tense silence, holding her hands out to both Lucy and Natsu, "I warn you to watch what you say. There is no telling who could be listening in, and it would benefit everyone if Mard Geer still believed you were in the Fae realm Natsu."

"Right right, Mard Geer bad," Natsu slid his hand into Ultear's and reached for Lucy's other hand.

He felt her touch, light and fragile in his hand. His eyes snapped over to her hand, drawing his attention away from Ultear. Her fingers twisted in his, pale against his tanned skin. Years of spinning fire had darkened and roughened his skin. Countless battles had calloused his fingertips, palms, and knuckles. Lucy's touch was soft in contrast, almost velvety in its smoothness.

Natsu wondered, not for the first time, how she could be such an enigma to him. Her eyes held weight and wisdom in them. They were eyes of someone who had lived and fought for what she had, and yet her hands reflected no experience on the battlefield.

She was _weird_. Why couldn't she make sense like everything else that was straightforward in life? He didn't bother to hide a grin, his fingers tightening around her small hand. Her large brown eyes lifted to meet him, a silent question thrown through the air between them. His smile grew in response.

He guessed her weirdness was why he liked her so much.

"I call upon the spirits of time and ice," Ultear's voice pulled his attention to the task at hand, "Open the veil between this world and the next. Give me audience with…"

She scowled.

"…Happy."

Natsu grinned at Lucy, who was looking around in suspicion.

"What are you looking at?" He asked with a low whisper. He could feel the connection building, the magic sparking through the air. But they had a few seconds of time before it finished. Contacting the spirit world was sometimes worse than dial up.

"I'm sort of waiting for the wind to howl and blow out all the candles," Lucy admitted, peeking around from under dark lashes, "I dunno, something more dramatic than us just sitting together holding hands?"

Natsu leveled her with another strange look, "Lucy, we don't have any candles lit."

She puffed up her cheeks, and Natsu couldn't help but think the human looked a little cute like that. Like a puffer fish. And like a puffer fish, if he told her she looked like one, she would drive pointy objects into his body without mercy.

"Then why don't the lights flicker or something?"

Natsu laughed at her disappointed expression. He leaned forward, all his sharp teeth on display in a wicked smirk as his eyes went wide with mischief, "Oooh, did you want something _spooooky_ Lucy?"

"AS IF!"

Natsu laughed and turned away from Lucy and her rosy cheeks. She was so easy to rile up, it was endless fun for a demon like him. He really had to spend more time with humans after this was all said and done. Who could have known they would have had such silly ideas on how communicating with spirits was supposed to go. Blown out candles and flickering lights? Really? That was ridiculous.

"We are connected," Ultear said quietly, her eyes sliding shut. Natsu turned towards the center where he could see a familiar blue figure, beginning to solidify and take form.

"Happy!" Natsu said, overjoyed and excited to see his feline little friend.

The spirit turned in the direction of Natsu with a little shriek of surprise, "Natsu! Where have you been!? You look all weird and transparent!"

The cat let out an gasp of horror, his large eyes filling with tears when they fell on Natsu, "Oh no! You're a ghost! You _DIED_ Natsu!"

"What? No I'm not dea—"

"Because otherwise you opened a channel to talk to me, and that would be really stupid," Happy continued, his crocodile tears suddenly gone, "Even you aren't that much of an idiot to do that, so you _gotta_ be dead!"

"Oh. No… haha, of course not…" Natsu swallowed and shifted in a bit of guilt, "Listen, I need your help, now listen up buddy and remember everything I say."

Lucy cleared her throat to catch Natsu's attention, interrupting the conversation "Uh, what's going on? Who are you talking to?"

Natsu blinked at Lucy, distracted, "Huh? I'm talking to Happy."

"But I can't see anything," Lucy frowned, "What is Happy? Some kind of monster?"

Happy gave her a teary look even though Lucy looked right through him. Then he whirled on Natsu, "Who is she Natsu? She's mean! I'm not a monster! _She's_ the one who looks like a puffer fish!"

Natsu grinned at his friend, pleased he had also drawn that conclusion, "Yeah! She does look like one, doesn't she?"

"I look like what?" Lucy asked dangerously.

Natsu ignored her, deciding that was the safer option. Ultear was snorting in amusement in the background though, so he supposed there was nowhere safe for him to hide.

"Lucy is Lucy, Happy is Happy," Natsu said instead, "You're both my friends!"

"Natsu," Ultear warned, catching his attention in a bad way, "The connection."

He gulped and jerked his head towards Happy, missing the way Lucy's face burned red at his declaration. His eyes found Happy's, and he was struck by the sudden homesickness that came from bantering with his little spirit friend.

"Happy, I need you to get that damn snowflake and the really scary lady and bring them to the Dividing Wall, alright?" Natsu grinned reassuringly at his friend, "We're going to need their help, and ol' droopy eyes will know where I'm talking about."

"But Natsu, you've been missing for an entire week now," Happy sniffed, looking genuine in his upset this time. Natsu gave him an affectionate smile.

"I know buddy, it won't be long now. I promise," Natsu grinned, "Now don't forget to tell them okay. It's really important!"

"Aye sir!"

"I'll see you soon Happy," Natsu gave the spirit a reassuring grin. The connection wavered, and faded.

Ultear opened her eyes and steepled her fingers together, giving Natsu a critical glare. Silence fell between them and Natsu felt like he was being inspected from the inside out under her stare. Lucy stared between the two of them with nervousness, clearly out of her element.

"You're involving my brother," Ultear said after a long moment. She did not look happy about what he was doing, "So whatever it is you're planning Natsu, be careful."

"I always am!" Natsu grinned, inviting a snort from Lucy.

With that, their business was concluded. Natsu was left whining in dismay as he paid Ultear out the nose. He knew he shouldn't have teased her as much, or trashed her carnivorous houseplant. Still, he was happy. His friends would know where he was, instead of combing the fae realm from top to bottom, they knew he would be here on the mortal realm.

He just hoped that they would be the only ones to figure that out.

His eyes turned towards Lucy, who was gushing about the weird one-sided conversation he apparently had with Happy, and let himself forget about the war for a few moments. Sure, he had plenty of people to protect in this war back home.

Lucy's hand tugged his when they stepped outside Ultear's shop, fresh air hitting his relieved nose. The witch's store had been stocked full of so many herbs from dreamshade to cilantro he couldn't tell between them and it confused his senses. His eyes drifted down to their joined hands and he was met with Lucy's happy smile.

His grip tightened around her hand and she let loose a soft giggle that made something in his chest twist in a way that was _almost_ painful. He matched her smile and then some.

He had something to protect right here.

"Come on Lucy!" He ran ahead, pulling her behind him, "Lets run all the way back!"

He laughed at the expected scream.

"No way!"


	3. Levy

It was a few days after they saw Ultear, and life was going on as normal. Aside from the fact that Lucy had been forced to move locations twice in the span of a single week thanks to the fires Natsu kept starting, this location was looking promising. So far the only incidents had been the poor eggs Natsu had tried to fry that morning, and the cheap set of curtains Lucy bought from Ikea.

Harder still was it for her to believe she had only known Natsu for a little over a week. He invaded her life so thoroughly, she was certain his presence would forever leave a lasting mark. It was too easy for her to get along with Natsu. His sharp smiles, wide eyes, and endless enthusiasm for small miracles rubbed off on her. It brought her joy in small and large ways, making it so she rushed home from work every day just to see what strange new questions Natsu had for her about something he found in her house. One day he managed to collect a tadpole, shortly after her terrible date the first day. He put it in a bowl next to her dresser, full of slime and mud to cheer her up after that particular disaster.

Sure she had screamed it was disgusting, but it was the thought that counted.

Still, one week. A little over one week of this and already it felt so much longer. This apartment was perfect since it was so close to her work. Before, Natsu had to accompany her because the bond wouldn't let them go too far from one another. While she missed his presence, she was relieved for a little bit of privacy and space from the demon.

Every now and then Natsu had to swat away a low level imp that came looking to pick a fight with him, but aside from that her life was quiet. Something which never ceased to bore Natsu to death. There was only so much training he could do in a day until Lucy came back from work.

Of course she now found herself snuggled onto the sofa, with the portable heater that was Natsu, curled on the opposite side. They were having a movie marathon because it was Friday night and the weekend was in sight. Thank whatever divine forces were listening to her prayers. She wasn't so sure about all of that now that Natsu barreled into her life, but she liked to believe Someone was up there.

"This is bullshit!" Natsu screamed, throwing a fistful of popcorn at the television set. Lucy watched the demon rage in just fury, couch cushions going flying everywhere, "As if sprinkling a demon with some tap water would cause a reaction like that! Do you see me vomiting everywhere every time you turn on the kitchen sink!"

"Natsu, that's holy water."

"So? Just because a priest mumbles some words over it makes it holy?" Natsu scoffed, throwing himself down on the couch like a petulant child. His bottom lip was jutting out in a pout, "Try grabbing some of the good stuff from the Nile and then _maybe_ I'd get motion sick."

Lucy rubbed her temples as Natsu continued to complain over the inaccuracies of demons portrayed in modern cinema. He had a way of ruining any scary movie within moments, shredding the atmosphere into pieces. Although he did seem to find them hilarious if the loud shrieks of laughter were any indication to his thoughts.

They had gone through House on Haunted Hill, Constantine, the entire Evil Dead trilogy in addition to the remake, and were finally watching The Exorcist.

"So you're telling me that exorcisms don't actually work?" Lucy asked when Natsu took a few seconds from booing the tv to cram a handful of popcorn in his mouth, "That all of this is completely bogus?"

Natsu dragged his eyes away from the television, flicking quickly over to his roommate and then back.

"Depends on the demon," Natsu munched on his treat, fascinated by the way the little girl's head was now spinning on her shoulders by the way he snorted, "The more powerful the demon, the harder to get rid of, and a human priest that's been properly ordained is just scratching the surface."

"So I guess I'm stuck with you for a while, huh?" Lucy joked.

She wasn't expecting his entire attention to divert from the screen and land on her. An inscrutable look entered his eyes and Lucy felt hot under the intensity of his silent, inspecting gaze. She realized a few seconds too late, that an exorcism for a demon more than likely wasn't a pleasant affair. No matter how silly the Hollywood producers made it seem for Natsu. Her heart entered her throat and she opened her mouth.

"I'm sor— "

"You could probably do it," Natsu interrupted her, his face breaking out into a wide grin, "You bound me to one spot. That's half of what needs to be done already."

He gave her a thoughtful look, dark eyes caressing over the entire length of her. Now Lucy's entire body felt like it was being set on fire, but for a different reason if she was being honest. Natsu didn't seem to notice, his fierce eyes pinning her to the couch.

"You're strong enough you could probably banish me back to hell," Natsu grinned at her and turned back towards the tv. As if he didn't have a care in the world.

"You don't look worried I'll do that," Lucy stared at him. As usual, Natsu's unpredictability threw her off. It was hard to get a bead on him most days. Others he was just as likely to sulk for a few hours as he was to laugh himself into hysterics.

Natsu didn't bother looking away from the screen this time, "Why would I be?"

"Well you just said I could banish you back to hell, the place you don't seem at all inclined to return to if the fact you were living in the fae realm before this is any indication," Lucy pointed out.

"Sure, going back to Hell is a bad thing for me. Mard Geer is waiting down there with a hoard of Tartarus' demons just hoping to stick me in some spawn chamber and brainwash me back to their side," Natsu shrugged and giggled over the humans running in fright from the possessed girl, "But I don't have to worry about it."

"Why not?" Lucy asked her pink haired roommate. She snatched the remote from near him and paused the movie. He gave her an injured look, reaching for it, but she dragged it to her chest. She kept it out of his grabby fingers and raised an eyebrow.

Natsu huffed, crossing strong arms over his chest, looking like a brat who had his toy taken away. For someone who complained an awful lot about horror movies, he sure seemed to enjoy them.

"You bound me by _accident_ Lucy, how are you supposed to exorcise me?" Natsu scowled at her, petulant. He was inching towards her, his body coiling in a way Lucy knew meant he was going to spring. She inched away from him.

"Even if you could banish me, if you didn't figure out a way to unbind yourself first, you would drag yourself along for the ride. And no human ever wants to step foot in Tartarus," Natsu's eyes narrowed on her, before a wicked gleam entered his eyes.

"And the last reason…"

Lucy gave him a suspicious look, "And that is?"

He invaded her personal space in the blink of an eye. Lucy's breath caught as she met his serious, straightforward gaze, burning into her own. Her heart just about stopped at the beautiful smile that stretched over his face, lifting his cheeks and shining the sun itself into her face.

She really wanted to slap the cheer off the demon's face sometimes, but his happiness could plow holes through concrete. That was meant in the literal sense too.

"I trust you," Natsu said with simple innocence. He blinked at her, grinning wide, "So why do I need to be worried?"

Lucy's eyes went wide at his words, a flush working its way up the back of her neck and along her cheeks. Her heart hammered in her chest, warmth spreading through her limbs at the sweet, simple statement.

She felt something tug lightly at her hand and Natsu's grinning face pulled away, a devilish glint in his eyes.

Huh?

Looking down, she noticed something missing.

The remote.

Natsu had returned to the television screen a moment later, cackling again as he shot Lucy a mischievous grin over his shoulder. He waggled it in his hands, a challenge bright in his dark eyes, "Missing something?"

He was taunting her.

Teasing her.

His fangy smile was wide and challenging, and… and… _That idiot had distracted her by being nice!_ She should have known he was a devil! He reminded her of that fact on a near daily basis.

If he was expecting her lunge, it sure didn't seem like it. His eyes went comically large as her body collided into his, an arm lifting to keep his head protected. They slid right off the side of the couch, Lucy's legs catching on the armrest as Natsu headed towards the floor with the most undignified noise to ever escape a Demon King.

Those were _warrior_ instincts right there.

Lucy snorted as she wiggled through the tangle of limbs, Natsu's shocked face staring up at her. She was aware that she had somehow managed to slide between his legs, his calf propped up on the edge of the armrest that her waist was dangling over. His other leg was splayed out on the floor leaving him in one of the most awkward positions she had ever seen. Especially since his body was curved up so just his head was brushing against the floor. His arms flailed, useless in his prone position since Lucy was keeping most of her weight balanced on his torso.

Catching his wrist in her hand, she snagged the remote from his loose grip. Really, she couldn't help but laugh at the indigent squawk that escaped him. Lucy giggled, and tugged the remote into her back pocket, launching herself off the side of the rest of the couch. Maybe using Natsu's stomach as a springboard to get leverage to escape his grasping hands wasn't the most sportsmanlike behavior, but all was fair in love and war.

Giggling, she escaped into the kitchen, knowing she didn't have long before he caught her. Already he could hear him groaning and rolling back up to his feet, the singsong of 'luuuuuuuuusheeee, where aaaare you' almost made menacing. If not for the fact that she could hear him swearing over how she kicked him. It _might_ have been effective.

It really was unfortunate she had just moved to this apartment with Natsu. Her old one had all sorts of fun hiding places she could exploit. Natsu had superior senses, so she needed the best advantage she could take if she wanted an edge on him. She looped around the kitchenette area. The flash of pink she caught from around the corner was enough to make her pick up her pace.

She snuck into her room, snagging a bottle of her body spray from her dresser and sneaking out as quietly as she could. It wouldn't fool him for long. But maybe long enough for her to find a good hiding spot. She sprayed the wall near her room and quietly ran in the opposite direction. His room was across the hall and that would be the second place he would check, so she avoided that area too, but as she moved past, she put a spritz on the carpet in front of room.

Heading up the stairs, she gasped out a soft laugh as she listened to Natsu running around in circles down below. His precious remote would forever remain her prisoner! She glanced up, smiling at the small area she and Natsu had yet to explore. It was a loft sort of area, crowded in boxes Lucy had yet to unpack and the wall was shared to her neighbor's apartment. She slunk around up there, certain Natsu wasn't sure this place even existed. It was the perfect hiding spot!

She crept up along the window cut into the loft wall and peered down over the ledge, seeing Natsu standing in front of the tv with his hand on his hip and his other scratching into his hair. Taking pleasure in the fact that her measly skills in misdirection had stumped his senses, she backed into the boxes and crept down to hide.

She leaned against the wall and smothered a giggle. Maybe it was way too late at night to be playing a game like this with Natsu. It was dark, spooky, and rainy outside. That was also why they had decided to marathon watching horror movies. Natsu had been curious about how mortals saw demons, and Lucy had been eager to oblige him. If no other reason than to see the expressions on his face.

These were her favorite days. Although she spent them alone more often than not, curled up in her favorite armchair with a mug of hot chocolate and a book on her lap. She would read about adventures, mysteries, and princes slaying dragons. Although she supposed with Natsu in her life, she was still doing the same thing she did every time. He was mystery, adventure, and a dragon all rolled up in one. She didn't remember a time she had so much fun with a book though. Natsu was something unique. Something different.

The demon whirled into her life, uprooted it, sent her packing into new locations, and disrupted the comfy routine she settled into. She had been upset at first, but now she couldn't imagine what she would be doing without Natsu running amok. She'd probably be a whole lot safer.

But she wouldn't be having as much fun alone.

Of course, as soon as she thought that, it would follow something would go wrong. Right off the bat.

Something dark shifted on the wall out of the corner of her eye. Something inside her flared with warning, and propelled by an instinct she couldn't name, she threw herself forward. Irrational fear pushed her forward, hard enough to slam into the wall of boxes she was hiding behind. A shadowy claw sailed over her head, digging deep grooves into a box holding some of her lacy negligées. She took a moment to mourn their loss, despite never having many opportunities to use them.

"Hey! I liked those!" She cried out. Of course it took a second for the reality of her situation to sink in and she scrambled backwards, her hand reaching for a weapon. Her hand found purchase on a long pole and Lucy whipped it around.

A broom.

_Of course_ it was a broom.

Suddenly her amusement over her situation was gone as the monster lunged at her and Lucy let out a shriek. She clubbed the living shadow with the broom as hard as she could, stunning it for a second and running to the stairs.

Where she crashed into Natsu.

The demon had been pounding up the stairs the moment the commotion started. For a second, Lucy marveled at the serious expression on his face, before it twisted into one of shock as they collided into one another again. This time down the stairs.

Natsu's arm managed to circle around her waist the second they both hurtled backwards. Poor Natsu was being used as a buffer for each painful thud until they came to a halt at the landing.

And as if to add insult to injury…

The bottle of body spray Lucy had on her smashed open in his face.

There was a moment of stunned silence on Natsu's face. Lucy watched with fascination as the color in his cheeks burned into red and his eyes began to cross. He pushed her off him, a little rougher than intended as he scrubbed at his face, trying to gasp for air.

Forgetting about the crazy Shadow that was trying to attack them, Lucy yanked Natsu by the back of his shirt and dragged the coughing demon towards the sink to get the perfume out of his eyes and nose. She supposed there _were_ drawbacks to enhanced senses after all.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Lucy cried out as Natsu stuck his entire head under the faucet, "I didn't mean to it was an acci—!"

She cut off with another scream when the Shadow jumped into the kitchen, a hungry snarl ripping from its throat. Lucy's scream prompted Natsu to look up, slamming the back of his head into the faucet. He clutched the back of his head in pain while Lucy took to throwing everything she could grab at the monster.

"Damn it Lucy! Are you trying to kill me!" Natsu garbled under the running water. Lucy paid him no mind and ran to the back of the kitchen, grabbing a vase to throw it as hard as she could at the Shadow. She didn't see Natsu pulling his sopping head out from the sink, her aim going wide and the vase smashing into the back of his head.

The demon staggered, an angry bump swelling on the back of his head no doubt and he grabbed his head in pain. He whipped around on her, his sharp fangs bared in anger.

"What's your problem!" Natsu yelled, looking a bit put out by the near constant abuse, "Why are you throwing crap at me!"

"Your fat head was in the way!" Lucy shot back at the demon and pointed behind him, "Why don't you worry less about me and worry more about the thing trying to kill me!"

Natsu frowned at her words and turned around. He threw his arm out, sharp eyes searching for the Shadow that was directly in front of him, "Where?"

Lucy's jaw dropped and she tugged Natsu back as the monster pounced. She was dragging the demon around in front of her, scuttling them back and around to avoid the spider-like monster that kept trying to attack.

"Are you serious? You can't see that thing?" Lucy exclaimed, watching as it smashed into her kitchen chairs. Even Natsu looked a little disturbed, if excited.

"No I can't!" Natsu grinned and slammed his fists together, "Awesome! I've been itching for a fight!"

Lucy let out a soft gasp as the monster went directly for Natsu's head and dragged them both down hard against the tile. The monster crashed hard into the wall, punching a hole into the drywall. Lucy whimpered. There went her deposit…

"Natsu how can you fight something you can't see?" Lucy hissed at him, dragging the demon up to his feet and backing up towards the pantry. She could see Natsu trying to figure that answer out himself.

"Well normally I'd use my sense of smell, but…"

"But what?"

"But someone threw a gas grenade in my face not five minutes ago," Natsu smirked. His fists lit into balls of flames and he lifted them through the air, searching blindly, "No shadow."

"Duh, because that thing _is_ a shadow!"

Natsu frowned at that bit of news, "Oh, well that complicates things."

"Complicates how?" Lucy hissed into his ear. The long, drawn out 'weeeeeell' Natsu made did nothing for her nerves. If he thought she didn't notice the way he was pushing her behind him, he had another thing coming. She took that to mean he was getting a little worried.

"It means someone _human_ summoned it, since you're a human witch. Or whatever you are, that means you can see it," Natsu waved a dismissive hand, "Since I'm not from this world, I can't."

"So that's why I couldn't see Happy!" Lucy said with excited understanding. The onyx eyes that flashed over his shoulder were so filled with mocking amusement; Lucy was tempted to punch him in the spleen. As they were in the middle of her kitchen and being cornered by some snarling shadow creation from not-hell.

"Good thing is, these things are pretty weak. If I can land a hit on it, the creature should disintegrate," Natsu crouched, his nose twitching. By the expression on his face, it was clear that he was still being assaulted by lavender.

A sudden idea struck Lucy and she shoved Natsu forward so she could claw her way into the pantry. She grabbed a sack of flour, dragging it out. She caught Natsu's confused look as she scrambled for the drawers, yanking one open and searching for a knife. She bemoaned the fact she hadn't done her dishes in a while since all she had was a butter knife.

"You just need to see it for a second right?" Lucy asked, stabbing at the bag of flour.

To her relief, it seemed Natsu had caught on. He wrapped his hand around Lucy's and drove the knife down with more strength than she had. He hefted the spilling bag over his shoulder. Before she could point the creature out to him, Natsu had thrown the bag in the air and _punched_ it.

"Wait Natsu no!"

Too late.

Flour exploded everywhere, covering every inch of surface within the kitchen and living room. Both Lucy and Natsu were covered in the fine dust.

And so was the monster.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered, launching himself forward at it. Flour swirled around his feet, driving his heel downward into the tile and swinging his fist upwards and into the beasts' face. His knuckles made their mark, no fire necessary. Lucy took the small mercy that the creature, as promised, disintegrated under the blow.

Of course, when Natsu landed, his foot rolled and he slipped on the floured tile. The demon squawked and flailed his arms before he landed hard. Lucy would be a liar if she said she didn't laugh.

She sighed, looking over the mess that they made in her kitchen in a matter of seconds.

"So what was that thing and how did it get in the apartment?" Lucy asked, extending a hand down to Natsu to help him sit up. He accepted the hand and rolled up at the waist. He lifted himself the rest of the way up to his feet, bouncing on his heels.

"It was a Shadowman, they come out after midnight but usually through portals," Natsu shrugged. He beckoned Lucy to follow him and they headed back up the stairs where the monster appeared, "It's weird though, they usually come in packs."

Natsu looked around, stepping over Lucy's lacy underwear with a loud snort of humor. Cheeks burning with embarrassment she picked up the discarded broom and swatted him with the fluffy end. To her frustration Natsu just ignored it and touched a black patch of wall where Lucy had been nestled hiding.

"Is this where it showed up?" He asked her, pouting a little. He kept poking a finger into the black patch, which Lucy wasn't sure was safe.

"Yeah," Lucy balanced the broom on her shoulder, "Our neighbors share that wall."

Her eyes widened in shock, her hand flying up to her mouth, "You said that those things come in packs! You don't think they're in trouble do you?"

"Probably," Natsu huffed, kicking his foot into the black patch. The wall thudded. Natsu pressed an ear flat against it, listening with close attention to whatever was going on the otherside, "They're also the ones that summoned the nasty things. Which means it was an accident."

His expression darkened a notch and he scowled, "Yeah, they got company."

Lucy sighed and rolled up her sleeves, "Then we better go help them."

Natsu blinked at her as she strode past him; snagging him by the wrist and dragging him out, "Wait, really? _You_ want to go?"

Lucy glared at him over her shoulder, pulling the unresisting demon behind them and grabbing her keys along with the broom.

"Absolutely. They owe me a new kitchenette set."

—::—

"Humans are idiots! You open a gateway to darkness and then get scared when a demon crawls out?" Natsu yelled, slamming his foot into the face of the Shadow man. His fingers burned at another, the small infestation seeming to annoy him more than anything, "If we terrify you so much, why do you lay out the _goddamn_ welcome matt?"

Lucy slammed a lamp into the head of a monster that was yanking her terrified neighbor by her skirt. It was a fruitless effort, but at least she was doing something.

"I don't know! We _like_ to get scared sometimes, but only a little!" The girl screamed back at Natsu. Lucy had to admit; she was handling the whole thing with a surprising amount of grace considering two of her friends had gotten sucked in through god only knew where.

"Sure! You braid your hair at sleepovers, paint each others nails, and then open a hellmouth after the ice cream! Seems normal to me!" Natsu shot back, his talons digging fiery trenches into his opponent. He grinned, crouching over its defeated body, "Sounds like my kind of slumber party!"

Lucy gave him a strange look, distracted from where she had been in the middle of trying to yank her neighbor from the creature's claws, "When did_you_ learn about slumber parties?"

And what the heck kind of slumber parties did he think girls actually had?

"I watch a lot of daytime tv while you're at work."

Well that explained that.

"We've used the Ouija board before and nothing like this has ever happened before!" The girl managed to kick a leg out to nail the monster under the chin.

Much to their pleasure, the shadow men had already been covered in all manner of nail polishes and ink. It turned out her neighbor liked to read. She was an editor by the looks of her workplace; colored inkwells and feathered pens were trashed on the carpet. She was a scholarly looking girl, with blue hair, red-rimmed glasses, and an orange nightgown.

As a result, Natsu didn't have much trouble knocking through the remaining monsters and tackling the last off Lucy and the girl. Lucy's heart jumped into her chest, the feel of Natsu's solid weight securing her against the floor. His ankle lashed up in an arc of fire and she could feel the sweep of his heat from where she was sprawled out.

Then it was over and Natsu was hopping up to his feet, rolling out his shoulders. This time he turned to her with a sunny smile and a hand out to her. She slid her hand in his calloused grip, the strong, large palm encircling hers and drawing her easily up.

The girls who had been taken before appeared in a heap near the sofa. They were unconscious but in one piece. It seemed for whatever nefarious purpose they had been taken they were now safe. Lucy turned towards the other girl, who was trembling with fear but altogether okay.

Lucy gathered her hands in her own and tugged them towards her, "My name is Lucy. I just moved in next door with Natsu. What's your name?"

Hazel eyes were wide, but turned towards each of them with slow reluctance. The petite girl swallowed, her lips trembling as she forced a grateful smile.

"Levy. Levy McGarden," She glanced between the two of them, "And he's a demon?"

"Yep!" Natsu said, pride evident in his tone and voice.

Lucy frowned, praying for patience, "Yes, but he really should stop advertising that."

It was by luck alone Natsu's identity, as a demon hadn't been compromised. It was bad enough that the firefighters from the district somehow thought he was an arsonist. That was bad enough. Any calls she received from exorcists and deranged satanic zealots were going to be fielded by Natsu. She straight up refused to so much as touch any calls like that.

Levy took a moment to absorb everything before her smile seemed to solidify on her face. It was like reality and the insane version of it they had introduced her to were finally beginning to meld together. At least it was merging into something Levy could think through in a way that wouldn't make her lose her mind.

"Thanks for saving me," Levy's grip tightened around Lucy's hands, "I'll make it up to you one day. I promise."

Relief flooded through Lucy and she nodded, feeling a sort of kinship with the woman who had been thrust into a world they could barely navigate. The feeling this girl would play an important role in her life refused to go away.

They said their goodbyes and headed back to their apartment, leaving Levy to clean up the mess in her apartment. Lucy was not interested in doing any such thing so late at night. Instead she dragged herself back to the couch once they were home, shutting the television off with the recovered remote.

"Sorry," She glanced at Natsu, who looked a little disappointed, "I think I'm burned out on horror movies for the night."

Wrapping her arms around herself as a form of security, she glanced over at the demon. Natsu's eyes were on her, an inscrutable expression on his face. As usual. He was so hard to read when he wasn't smiling.

"I need a shower, and so do you," Lucy sighed, taking inventory of the mess they made. Flour covered every surface. They were going to have their work cut out for them if they wanted to get this place back in working order. Natsu yawned, rows of sharp teeth exposed for a second before his hand covered his mouth. He rubbed watering, sleepy eyes and flashed a smirk at Lucy.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning then," Natsu waved goodbye to her and headed into his room without complaint.

Lucy frowned at his retreating back, trying not to feel disappointed. She didn't know why, but she had hoped he would put up more of a fuss than he had. She didn't understand why she felt that way either. It annoyed her more than anything when he did stuff like that, but it was like she had come to expect it as a sense of normalcy. On a day that was so far from normal, she could use some of his antics.

Sulking, she headed into her room. She got undressed, sliding into her shower and standing under the hot water that beat against her body. She forced herself to relax under the spray. Forced herself to enjoy the thrum of the water so it could push out the fear that chilled her bones and caused her spirit to flag.

It was one thing to act fine when she was in front of Natsu. He exuded an air of safety and security. As it was, Lucy couldn't defend herself if she needed to. If this was to become her life, Lucy wanted to get stronger so she wouldn't have to rely on Natsu swooping in to save her all the time. Still, she liked it when he was near. It wasn't just his physical prowess, although that was a contributing factor.

The flash of a wide smile or the sunny glint to his eyes made Lucy's heart feel at peace. Like everything in the world was going to be a little bit better because he would be there to beat up all the problems plaguing her.

Her hands were trembling.

Lucy gathered them to her chest and breathed out. She inhaled through her nose, out through her mouth. In. Out. In. Out.

In.

Out.

The water ran cold.

Lucy climbed out of the shower, dragging herself towards her towel wrack and wrapping it around her body. She felt like one of the deadites from the movies they had watched earlier. Her favorite set of silky pajamas were waiting for her. No time was wasted as Lucy stripped herself of her towel to get changed. It was a relief when she fell face first into her bed.

At least it was until she landed on something hard.

A brown eye creaked open and Lucy's hand patted the sheets she was laying on top of. Firm. Warm.

No…

It couldn't be.

He _wouldn't_.

The suspicion was answered a moment later when she peeled back the covers to reveal Natsu, snoring face first into one of her downy pillows. His hair was damped, which was a testament to his laziness since it would take him a matter of seconds to dry it off. He too had gotten out from the shower, much to her chagrin.

What was he doing in her bed?

Lucy snagged him by his trademark scarf, which he wore even to bed. Tugging on it was useless as he burrowed deeper in the blankets, dragging her along. Lucy squawked and found herself sprawled over the dozing demon. The whining that came from Natsu was almost endless. His arm shot out before she could react, and Lucy found herself trapped between the blanket and Natsu's firm body. The guy was fast.

"Natsu, why are you in my bed," She asked with a hint of impatience.

A slanted eye creaked open. It closed again.

"You sprayed your lavender crap in my room," Natsu released her, not holding tight enough to keep her in place anyway, "And there's flour all over the couch. 'M sleeping here."

After the night the two of them had, Lucy couldn't find it in herself to argue with him. She just sighed, since it was true, she had sprayed his room with lavender. And then went ahead and broke the entire bottle in his face.

Her heart beat wildly over the idea of sharing a bed with a man. Especially one that looked as Natsu did. Perhaps on a different day, she would have complained with more force and loudness before giving in.

Today though?

No, today after a brush with mortality, she did not mind having Natsu around. She turned the opposite way in the bed, their backs brushing against one another. Lucy's cheeks warmed in embarrassment, but she was too tired to give it much more thought.

The last thing that crossed her mind was Natsu, and how strange it was that he didn't seem to mind the scent of lavender when it was in her room.

As she dropped off to sleep, she didn't notice Natsu's snores stop at once, or his eyes open.

On that same note, she did not realize that he stayed awake the whole night.


	4. The Couch is on Fire

Mornings were never a time Natsu agreed with. One moment he was asleep, dreaming about flying on clouds with Igneel; Happy, Erza, and even that jerk Gray at his back - the next he was waking up alone in a scratchy cot with just the bitter memory of happier times to keep him company.

He hated mornings.

It meant he had to leave the dreams behind, a small solace in the violent war they had been fighting for the past few decades. Or however long. Natsu was the head of the resistance. Erza might lead their troops with galvanizing words, but he led them with his heart. With fire streaming through his veins, angry roars belting from the back of his throat as he and the other dragons rode in from the skies. He loved to fight. _Loved to win_. It was just as much a part of him as the fire he manipulated.

The guilt was hard to ignore though. Igneel's death, the war, and the countless number of friends he had lost… It was his fault this was happening. No matter how indirect.

He was sick of fighting. He was sick of waking up alone; another name of a friend lost he had to brand into his heart.

But that was before _Lucy_.

It was different now.

Natsu worked his eyes open, the unfamiliar ceiling coming into focus. He blinked, thoughts quickly coming together. He was not in a scratchy cot or a battlefield. The sheets under him were soft, the mattress cushy. He rolled over, eyes landing on the woman snoring into the pillow next to him.

Lucy.

Wow, what a _weirdo_. She snored like a Rancor.

A wicked grin spread over his face as he watched her. Ever since the Shadow man attacked, Natsu would sometimes find himself wandering into Lucy's room in the middle of the night to curl up in her bed. The first morning he woke up, Natsu groaned around a mouthful of blond hair and Lucy had kicked his face into the wall for drooling in it.

There was nothing in this world, the otherworld, or even the underworld that could make him regret it. Her hair tasted like strawberries. Which was weird.

But that morning, it had been easy to wake up. Having her around when he crawled back into the realm of the living made him happy to leave the dreams behind. At first, his reason for crawling into Lucy's bed at night had been to keep watch over her. Ensuring no other creepy-crawlies were hanging around to cause her problems was something that just made sense. Deflecting her questions hadn't been too hard either, but Natsu had been a little surprised when Lucy barely put up a fight when she discovered him in her bed that night. It was more than enough evidence for him since the lack of resistance was often a bad sign.

When he woke up that morning, the few seconds before Lucy woke up, Natsu had been at peace. At least he had been until the face kicking had started. The sensation of being so calm while waking up, so pleased to open his eyes to golden hair and Lucy's relaxed face… It unsettled him.

What sorcery had Lucy cast on him?

Somewhere along the line he stopped using watching over her as an excuse. More and more often he found himself in her room of his own free will. He did it just as much for his healing as for hers. There were no words for what he felt when he woke up, but it was as if the pain of memories dulled into something less like a vicious attack to his heart. Haunting presences of Igneel, Simon, and Ur all faded, their voices quieting into whispers in the early morning light.

A lazy grin spread over his face. He took a second to figure out where his limbs began and ended. His arm had fallen asleep, pinned under Lucy's head. She was using his bicep as a pillow. Natsu pulled a face at the way she was snorting into the pillow his arm was resting on.

His eyes followed the trail of her pale limbs. Her arm had splayed out, her fingers brushing across his chest. His shirt had rolled up in the middle of the night, pulled up around his ribcage, so Lucy's cool fingers found purchase on his naturally hot skin fast. The way they shifted as she began to stir caused his breath to catch in his throat. Feather soft caresses that shifted down his chest to his abdomen caused his stomach to jump. He held his breath to calm his heart.

_That was just reflex_, he told himself.

His eyes followed the tangle of their legs. It became evident Lucy cared very little for personal boundaries while she was asleep. He flexed his hips to get some blood back into his legs, unhooking them from Lucy's. Sitting up, he arched his back and pulled his arm out from under his roommate's head with as much gentle grace as he possessed so early in the morning.

The well-earned stretch pulled a happy growl from the back of his throat. Rolling off the bed, he landed on his feet and straightened his spine. A sharp tug to his shirt had it back down where it was supposed to hang. A feminine groan caught his attention and his eyes flicked back towards the bed where he saw Lucy's hand flopping over the empty space he had been occupying.

Smothering a full-blown laugh, Natsu allowed himself a quiet cackle at the way the human pouted and rolled over completely in his spot to leech the last bits of his warmth. The nights were long and cold, the main reason Lucy probably allowed him to remain in her bed was because she had grown used to his presence warming her sheets. He made a cozy environment for her that was for certain.

He padded out of the room, picking up Plue and hooking him under an arm as he walked by. The dog would have to go outside and Natsu knew Lucy would hate having to go out in the cold, wet morning haze. Plue was also too lazy and sleepy to do any real work that early, so Natsu resorted to carrying the dog down the hall, around the stairs, and to the bottom floor. He blinked with lax, sleepy eyes and walked outside barefoot, setting the white dog on the grass.

The Mighty Demon King END was waiting for his roommate's dog to finish doing his business. Natsu just counted himself lucky that Gray wasn't here to see him doing something so domestic. If he stayed in this realm much longer he was going to go so soft, he would be jello on the battlefield. Useless in his attempts to protect anyone.

As sobering a thought as it was, he couldn't imagine his life going in a different direction. Natsu crouched down and scratched his fingers through Plue's white fur. He picked up the tiny dog and lifted him up eyelevel, peering into the oblivious puppy's eyes with the intensity he was known for.

"What should I do?" He asked the dog. Plue shivered and squirmed in his grasp, something Natsu had since realized was normal for Lucy's weird animal.

"Every day I spend here, my friends die in the other world," Natsu said to the dog, "But I can't drag Lucy along for my mission. She doesn't know how her magic works, she's like a sitting duck. Pretty sad really."

"Well perhaps you should ask Princess Lucy herself," Plue replied, his voice light and rather feminine sounding.

And coming behind him.

Natsu jumped and spun around, his eyes zeroing in on Lucy. She was holding a mug of coffee in her hand, another one extended out to Natsu, heat billowing from the top of his cup. Lucy lifted her mug to her lips and he didn't need to see most of her face to realize she was smirking at him.

With a growl of annoyance he accepted the cup and sulkily began to gulp down the burning liquid as if it were water, "Rude Lucy."

"That's _Princess_ Lucy to you peon," She smirked, expression haughty.

His eyes narrowed and his response came out more whining and petulant than he liked, "I'm a _King_!"

"So you keep reminding me."

Dropping the squirming Plue so he could scamper back to his mistress, Natsu stood up and held the mug between his palms to keep the coffee scalding hot. The way he liked it.

Lucy surprised him. Her scent was changing, morphing into something he was unable to recognize. At least for the time being. Eventually he would get a hang of it, but for now she was able to get the drop on him if she was quiet enough. He supposed that was his fault for systematically destroying every trace of lavender in her house.

The scent still haunted him after the fiasco with the Shadowmen.

Slanting a wary glance at Lucy, he busied himself from answering her by taking slow sips of his coffee instead of chugging it like normal. He had to admit, humans knew how to wake up in the morning, this stuff was great.

Not great enough to distract her for long, but good enough.

Lucy bent and leaned over, her slender fingers sliding into Plue's white fur. Natsu watched their journey in curiosity, his eyes following after the motion. Her small, fragile looking hands fascinated him, but he pitied the fool who thought to call Lucy _delicate_. Those people had never had their faces kicked into a wall for walking in on her when she was in a towel. For a human, she was shrewd and almost terrifying in how cunning she could be. If he were to take a wager, Natsu was sure she could outmaneuver even the smartest imps.

Now she had those intelligent eyes locked on him. Hiding behind his coffee cup would not save him forever from having this conversation, so with great reluctance he downed the rest of the cup.

"Natsu, you can't protect me," Lucy sat down on the bottom step to the stairs. Plue crawled into her lab, nestling into the folds of the fluffy robe she had tied around her waist. Her hand continued to caress her dogs fur, but her eyes never left his.

Was his chest supposed to feel like it was on fire? How often had he used fire so it no longer burned him. Well if that was the case, why did his throat felt like it was squeezing shut.

The coffee.

Maybe when they went to the store next Natsu would buy a different kind of sweetener. The kind Lucy bought was giving him heartburn.

Right.

So he couldn't protect Lucy? The thought stung him, but he was careful not to let it show on his face. If Lucy noticed he felt like a wounded puppy at the moment, she said nothing. She was shifting under his stare, losing some of the humor she had earlier.

"I mean, I'm already neck deep in a world I don't understand," Lucy said, "If you keep me in the dark, something eventually is going to take a swing at me and I'm never going to see it coming."

Still, Natsu said nothing. Although, he noted, Lucy was beginning to look nervous. As often as he was oblivious to most tense situations, even he knew the importance of sitting still and just listening to Lucy when she had something on her mind. Ignoring her often lead to painful kicks in soft places.

"Sure, you can protect me from a lot of bad stuff," She reasoned, "But there's going to come a day when you aren't attached to me anymore and those creepy-crawly things are going to still be out there."

He blinked.

Guilt crawled back into his heart and he cast his eyes down to the ground. She was right. Of course she was, Lucy was _always_ right. Hadn't he been eager to get rid of this bond between him and Lucy? _She wasn't a permanent fixture in his life_. She was human. Even if she stuck around, Lucy would one day grow old and die.

It wasn't fair that her short life was going to be tormented by spirits, demons, ghouls, and everything else that crawled under the unlit sky. The longer he stuck around, the worse it would get for Lucy. Dragging his feet through his mission because he was enjoying the time spent with Lucy was beginning to look like one of his worst plans.

That was saying something too.

At the very least, she had to be able to protect herself when he left.

Because one day he _would_ leave.

The unhappy thought made a nest for itself in the back of his mind, but Natsu buried it. His eyes snapped back up to Lucy and he lifted his head back to her. What he thought didn't matter in the long run, it was her choice to learn about his world. No matter if he wanted to keep her in the dark, she deserved the chance stay safe. He couldn't even imagine a world without Lucy in it. Although the mortals at the supermarket would be happy to get rid of both of them, his appetite was close to cleaning out their shelves.

He sprang to his feet, his drilling towards Lucy with new enthusiasm. Whatever weird, twisted things he was feeling for Lucy weren't really important. Her safety was the priority.

"Alright!" He said with a cheerful smile, "I'll teach you how to use your magic!"

That was logically the best decision to make. The smile that overtook Lucy's face was worth it too. He laughed alongside her and helped her stand up. Plue scampered off Lucy's lap, looking offended that his source of comfort had been moved.

They would start their lessons after breakfast he decided. His stomach was beginning to snarl its hunger so Natsu was inclined to listen to it above all else.

Besides, her magic couldn't be _that_ different from his.

—::—

The couch was on fire.

"Natsu what do I do!"

"Put it out! _PUT IT OUT_!"

"HOW—Natsu this isn't funny **stop laughing**!"

He really couldn't help but roar in hysterics. The couch was on fire, Lucy was trying to smack it out with a heavy blanket, and he was sitting on the carpet watching the show. For once this wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one who set the apartment on fire.

It had been Lucy.

Tears streamed down his face as he giggled into the carpet, mad laughter escaping him even as his roommate tried very hard to smother the flames. His body trembled in glee, disbelief coloring his face. He couldn't believe _she_was the one who set the couch on fire.

Together they had been sitting on the previously uncharred piece of furniture, Natsu giving her pointers and tips. They lit a candle and Natsu had her hold it in front of her face. The instruction had been to feel the fire and try to make it move in some way.

Lucy had concentrated so hard on it, the fire exploded in Natsu's face.

It didn't hurt of course, but Lucy's absolute panic was hilarious. So while they went to the kitchen to wipe the soot off his face, neither noticed the smoldering couch cushion until the scent of smoke reached Natsu. When they walked back to the living room, a small fire had started on the seat cushion.

Small at first, Lucy's attempts at smothering it had only made the fire swell.

It was the funniest thing Natsu ever saw.

Deciding it would be best to interfere before she got burned, he dragged himself up and scooped the fire in his hand. He was just glad they hadn't used _his_ flames for the practice run, otherwise Lucy would need a new couch instead of a new cushion.

He breathed in the golden licks of fire; his chest swelled from the magical heat, warmth melting through his limbs. It was a different sort of flame than what he was used to. Strange, just like the weirdo who summoned it. He laughed in delight at the way it fizzled and tingled going down. Like licking the sun.

"Huh, that was actually pretty tasty," Natsu grinned, glancing back at Lucy to congratulate her. Tasty and destructive.

Just the way he liked it.

Of course he didn't notice the way her hand arched through the air and smacked right into his forehead. A karate chop right to the face. He yelped and rubbed his forehead, looking very offended. However seeing Lucy in a towering fury made his survival instincts kick in. He backed away to the other side of the apartment, memories of a certain Titania bearing down on him in similar rages flashing through his mind.

"You could have done that entire time!" Lucy shrieked the question at him, matching each retreating stride he made with one of her own. She jabbed a finger into his chest as soon as his back hit the wall. It was like a pointy little stick right to the sternum.

"Yes?" Natsu grinned, nervous. He raised his hands in surrender. By the way her eyes flashed in a clear sign of danger, Natsu saw his life flash before his eyes – there were a lot of explosions.

"Then why didn't you save my couch!"

Natsu's grin widened in delight, his hands coming up to loosely wrap around the wrist that was currently attempting to drive her finger into his chest, "Well you have to learn somehow don't you?"

"Not at the sacrifice of another apartment!" She shot back.

He smirked in response. Lucy, sensing danger, could not hide the wariness in her eyes. The sudden lack of his fear was a clear sign to her he was up to no good. And she would be right to think that of course.

"I'm not the one who set the apartment on fire this time," Natsu chided her, an expression of false seriousness on his face. He tsked and made a show of shaking his head, long and slow, "Come on Lucy. Be responsible!"

Her face flushed in a lot of interesting shades of color. First red, then pink, then a little blue, then back to pink. His grin grew with each color shift. Her embarrassment put a quick end to her rage, and Natsu tugged her back to the couch. He pulled off the couch cushion and flipped it around, flopping back down in his spot. He took her hands in his and opened her palms up under his.

"I'll show you how to do it," He grinned at her. His eyes turned towards the center of her hands, willing to life a small flame between her palms, "The nature of fire isn't just destructive, but it also has a life of its own."

This was almost eerily similar to the lessons Igneel had given him as a child. The old dragon's words were a quiet presence in his mind, so when his fingers brushed against Lucy's palms a nostalgic smile flickered over his face. Lucy couldn't become a dragon like him, but she could still learn the nature. It delighted him that Lucy seemed attuned to his element.

"All life begins with fire," He remembered the old lesson. It was one he ignored a very long time ago, back when the war he fought was demon versus dragon. Him against Igneel. How he never once cared about where life began and only how fire could benefit him as a destructive force. It was a tool to crush his enemies.

Until Igneel turned his life upside down.

"You can't just push it all out at once," His voice dropped down to a low murmur, his eyes focused on the path of fire they were building together. His fingers slid against the back of Lucy's hands, down to circle her wrists.

Her skin felt cool under his touch. Wherever his fingers travelled a path of raised bumps seemed to follow. Sharp hearing caught Lucy's breath hitching in her chest. Natsu's chest tightened at the sound, but he forced his voice to level out, "Focus on feeding it. Slowly, like turning on the gas."

The fire swelled between them, slowly this time. His heart thudded in excitement, both of their eyes focused on the fire. It really was a beautiful flame, golden and pretty. Even though it looked delicate enough for a single gust of wind to snuff it out, Natsu had to admire the craft behind the magic.

"Now pull it back," Natsu's voice dropped even lower. He didn't want to break her concentration. Whatever she was picking up on, it seemed to be working, "Make it as tiny as a matchstick."

He heard another sharp intake of breath from Lucy, but this time he couldn't avoid looking at her. His eyes drifted upward to gaze at her. Breath froze in his lungs when he took her in.

The fire danced around her face, casting a warm glow across her skin and highlighting her hair. The heat from the flames caused a rosy blush to lift to her cheeks. Large, brown eyes were narrowed with concentration, her teeth worrying soft looking lips.

Natsu's eyes went wide as a realization slammed into him like Erza joy-riding on the back of a centaur going at eighty miles an hour.

_Lucy was beautiful_.

Heat flared to life within him, a rush of blood burning down the back of his neck and ears. It took a great deal of effort for him to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. Warmth grew in the air around him, the temperature rising in a budding tide. Forcing himself to keep calm, Natsu instead focused on Lucy's hands and the tiny flame she managed to shrink down to the point of a matchstick.

A sunny smile lit up her face. Joy over the small accomplishment with her magic was brimming over her entire body, giving Natsu a wild sense of giddiness to match. Her eyes met his, the blush darkening on her cheeks. From one side of the couch to the other, they were both watching one another.

The flame danced between them, tiny and new.

"I did it" Lucy breathed, pride shining in her eyes.

Natsu's smile spread to match hers. Struck by sudden inspiration, his hands slide over hers to protect the tiny flame from snuffing out. It was her first fire. It was important. Which meant they would be keeping it forever.

The tiny flame burned against his palms, an eager little companion with a life of its own.

"Thank you Natsu," Lucy's voice continued, just as soft as it had been before. He felt her fingertips, soft and light, brush against the backs of his knuckles. The way their hands were positioned, it was normal. Still, it sent a thrill down the base of his spine.

Thanks were bogus and unnecessary. Lucy joy at being able to accomplish such a small task was payment enough. He opened his mouth to tell her that, a grin already curling across his lips…

The phone rang.

Shrill music played from the small device on the coffee table. Her cellphone buzzed and clattered over the surface. The sound pierced through the atmosphere between them, and Natsu was jerked back to reality. Startled badly, he almost lost track of the small flame trying to extinguish itself. Natsu managed to save it between his palms, feeding it some of his own magic to keep it going.

"Hello?"

He didn't let his disappointment show when Lucy ripped her hands from his to snatch up her phone. The way her hand jumped up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear showed her nervousness. Straightening up, he tucked the flame against his chest and stood up. Lucy was bent over, listening to whoever was on the other line.

A confused frown worked over her face, the blush from before intensifying against her skin.

"Another date?' Lucy's eyes skimmed over to Natsu, as if wondering if she could manage it. Lucy was flattered by the fact she could get a second date, but was looking unsure. Her eyes kept flicking to him, no doubt wondering what she would do with her proverbial ball and chain on the date.

He wasn't sure how he thought about this.

"Bring him here," Natsu suggested, surprising even himself with the comment. Resigning himself to the fact that the weird male from the first week of his binding to Lucy was still interested in her, he thought this might be a good idea. It would be best if she managed to make her life as close to normal as she could get it, and the guy was a loser. Not dangerous. Bo-something.

He didn't know why he chose now all of a sudden to get back into contact with Lucy. It had been well over a month since that disastrous first date. Wasn't there some sort of rule to dictate when you call a woman back after a date? It was weird he was picking now to get that second date with Lucy, but who was he to say how humans handled their love lives?

Lucy flashed him a quick smile, still looking a little unsure, but nodded.

"Alright Natsu, thanks," She lifted the phone to her ear and made plans for him to come by Friday night.

Quiet as mouse he took himself from the room while Lucy made her plans. He still cradled the tiny flame between his palms, his heart doing weird, nauseous flips in his chest.

He stared at the flame, and glanced over at his shoulder back at Lucy. Unable to shake off the sensation of unease, he disappeared back into his room.


	5. Pancakes

Natsu was gone for the rest of the week.

Lucy didn't know where he wandered off too or how he managed to disappear considering their bond made it difficult for him to so much as leave her side. That told her he was being very creative to avoid seeing her. It was hard not to take that personal, but the fact that she hadn't seen so much as a strand of pink hair let her know something was up.

Maybe he needed some space from her. It was hard to believe he would since all he did was nag her over how bored he was. Still, he had to be around somewhere. He couldn't leave no matter how much he wanted to.

So when she woke up on Friday morning, to a strong body warming her sheets, she came close to elbowing him in the throat. She turned slowly under the downy blanket, coming face to face with a muscled chest. It rose and fell in heavy breaths, hinting at how deep of a sleep Natsu was in. If she elbowed him like planned, she wasn't sure he would notice.

The drool on her pillow where he snored away indicated he wasn't waking up any time soon. Her fingertips lifted, skimming just under pink bangs to brush them from his face. The dark eyes she had grown accustomed to seeing were closed, eyelids fluttering. His nose scrunched up, but his breathing remained even. Still deep asleep.

As surprised as she was by his sudden reappearance into her bed, something inside her chest unclenched. What was more surprising than his presence in her bed, was how relieved she felt he was there. He was back.

Questions filled her mind. Where had he gone and why? Take it from Natsu he would crawl back into her bed about a week after not talking to her as if nothing happened. She frowned, trying not to be offended as she wondered if this was normal behavior from Natsu. She still didn't know him all that well.

Awake now, she rolled over to swing her legs from the bed and stretch for a minute. She felt something warm catch her wrist before she could go, and her head jerked back towards Natsu.

He was awake.

A slanted eye was opened and partially obscured under his fringe of hair. The rest of his face was still turned into the pillow, but his sleepy eye was hazy on Lucy. He blinked once, twice, three times, and then released her hand.

"Lucy?" He pushed himself up, the blanket pooling off from around his shoulders, and sliding down the curve of his defined back. He lifted an arm to wipe drool off his cheek, tired eyes dark with sleep. Lucy didn't know what kind of reaction to have. With his hair so rumbled and the impression of a pillow folded on his cheek, he looked adorable. On that same note, she felt her throat go dry, her eyes following the blanket where it bunched around his waist. It was her first time seeing Natsu without a shirt on.

In her mind it only made logical sense Natsu was attractive. He was a fighter, a demon, and an energetic ball of destruction that was responsible for half the stuff in her apartment breaking. If he wasn't moving, he was either asleep or dead. Although seeing the profits of that lifestyle stretched out in front of her were giving her impure thoughts.

Demons.

Freaking demons.

Natsu was all tanned skin and corded muscle. Even in the dark lighting, she could see the cuts of definition flexing as he moved. He was solid weight, strength in every fine tuned movement. Her eyes followed the strong slope of his neck as it turned, and the desire to sink her teeth into that powerful body overcame her for a blinding second.

Wow, she hadn't missed him _that much_ had she?

Now that her face was burning bright enough to light the entire room, Natsu's eyes found hers. The sleep was leaving his exhausted mind as they sharpened on her, his nose flaring. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, wondering why he was scenting the air and deciding she did not want to know.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked, his voice husky from sleep. A shiver ran along her spine, distracting her. Lucy really hated how he had picked now to abandon wearing a shirt to bed.

Really, was now the time to drool all over her attractive roommate?

"I was going to get up and stretch," Lucy managed to recover enough to give a coherent reply. Instead she relaxed back into bed instead of doing what she said. She turned onto her side, watching as her demonic bedmate mirrored her.

"When did you get back?" She asked, unable to stop herself from blurting it a moment longer. At least it was distracting enough to pull her attention away from the man's chest. Despite her eyeing him like a piece of meat, she had missed his presence more than words could say.

The last week with him gone was like someone jammed the reset button on her life. Somehow, strange as it seemed, Lucy found she couldn't simply go back to the way things had been before Natsu came crashing into her life. He left a demon shaped hole in her days. One that was too quiet and devoid of bright pink and loud laughter.

"Few hours ago," Natsu brightened at the reminder, missing her sober expression. He sat up and slid his fingers towards his neck. Around his neck a thick leather cord laid across his clavicle. She had missed it in the dark. He shifted it around his neck to drag a charm out from where it had slid under the pillow.

"I was out making this in the park," Natsu looked very proud of himself.

Immediately, Lucy felt very foolish for thinking Natsu had been avoiding her. Of course he hadn't. It was more likely Natsu didn't realize she would miss him. The demon was the very definition of a free spirit. He did whatever impulsive thing sprang to his brain.

Like running to the park to forge a… whatever it was.

It was a miracle there hadn't been any fire complaints.

Lucy's eyes followed the tiny charm. Black, with a hard shell and shiny surface. Her finger lifted to trace the surface, finding it completely smooth around the entire length except for a seam. It ran along the sides and up the top, lending Lucy to believe it opened.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

Tan fingers tugged it from her hands, sliding it back under the pillow when Natsu flopped his face back down on the pillow, "Obsidian. "

Lucy watched him smother a tired yawn into the cushion. She dropped her head next to his, favoring him with a small grin. He blinked dark eyes, but soon a matching smile spread over his face.

She wondered why he took the time to make obsidian, but decided it could wait until morning. He looked really exhausted.

"I'm glad you're back," Lucy murmured into the blankets. Her eyes began to drift shut, but she blinked at his relaxed face.

"Liar," Natsu grinned. He slid an arm under the pillow, his chin resting over it. Dark eyes remained fixed on Lucy though, even fighting back sleep, "Bet you were happy the neighbors didn't have any noise complaints."

She giggled at that. He had a point, it _was_ nice not to have the neighbors breathing down their necks for a week. Of course Natsu relished in irritating them, so he made it a personal mission to be as annoying as possible. Still, without him around, life was almost colorless. Boring without her rambunctious friend around to keep her company after a long day at work.

"I was very happy about that," Lucy said with a blunt sense of honesty. One she had begun to pick up from him. Natsu's smile grew wider at her comment, but faltered in surprise when she continued.

"But I also missed you," She blurted, eyes closing and heart fluttering from the quiet admission. She couldn't see his face, and her eyes were becoming too heavy to keep open.

She felt something warm press against her forehead, and warm breath fanning across her face. The tickle of his short, spiky hair caressing her forehead was enough to realize he had brought them together. Long seconds ticked by them, only the sounds of their breathing filling the space between them. If she had been paying closer attention, she might have noticed the shift in the air between them, as if something about their relationship had begun to change. A natural evolution between them neither had a way of predicting.

Just as Lucy thought she was going to fall asleep waiting for his response. She heard a low growl vibrate in his throat. She smiled, eyes closed and breathing deep, sleep fogging her mind.

She barely heard him whisper

"I missed you too."

—::—

When they woke up, life progressed as normal as if Natsu hadn't been gone for a week doing his little art project. Lucy found it a little suspect when she asked him further about the necklace; he waved it off with a nervous grin and an obvious subject change. He would tuck it under his scarf, so only the edge of the cord was visible before moving on to other things. She would let him keep his secrets, whatever his reasoning it was a private matter.

Still, her heart was twisting itself into knots. Memories of their early morning talk and falling asleep with their foreheads pressed together were still fresh on her mind.

Worse was the way they had woken up.

She had woken up to the feeling of his nose bumping into her cheek and the tickle of his long eyelashes against her skin. The sensation of his heavy arm draped across her waist had her heart hammering in her chest. A blush burned through her, starting from the root of her hair down to her toes.

It wasn't her fault she gasped and tried to untangle herself, somehow managing to elbow him in the throat when she got up too fast. Natsu's choked yelp was loud in her ears. His arm tightened around her as he moved to find his attacker blind. He knocked their heads together hard enough for her to see stars, invoking her shriek of pain and a kick to his shin.

After both of them had gotten knocked off opposite sides of the bed and climbed up, Natsu apologetically patted Lucy's forehead where he head-butted her. She could still feel the sensation of hot, calloused fingers sliding over tender skin.

Now she was left glaring at Natsu's bare back, who was throwing open her bottom cabinets in their kitchen and making a truly horrible mess. He still didn't have a shirt on, and that was a point of frustration for her. The oblivious jerk didn't know what he was doing by prancing around so careless. Apprehension ran through her at the reminder he was focused on_**something**_. The glee on his face was terrifying, and whatever he was contemplating was already making her wary. She sighed as Natsu began to hum some deranged sounding song under his breath.

Why was he waving a skillet around?

She didn't want to know.

Luckily she was saved from asking by a light knock on the door. It was with great reluctance she pulled her gaze from Natsu's activities. Unsure if she would have a kitchen by the time he was done doing whatever it was demons did in kitchens, she hurried to the door.

All she knew was demons did _not_ cook in kitchens. And if they did, it was never a good sign for anyone involved.

Standing on her toes, she peeked through the peephole and smiled. She undid the latches and swung the door open, admitting Levy into their apartment.

"Oh hi Levy!" Lucy swung the door shut behind her friend and locked it. Her friend gave her a high-five but froze midstride the second she saw Natsu wielding his new weapon of choice in the kitchen.

"Lucy, why does Natsu have a— "

"I don't know," Lucy interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes fixated on her pink haired friend puttering around the kitchen and dragging out ingredients, "I think he's cooking."

"Pancakes! Hi Levy!" Natsu interjected, excitement in his voice. His bright eyes and eager smile popped up from behind the counter. His eyes widened on her with boundless joy and he slammed the pan down, denting it right through the middle, "Do you want some too?"

"Natsu," Lucy whimpered and ran over to do damage control, prying the pan from his loose fingers. She had the strongest urge to slam the pan right between his eyes for ruining it. Meanwhile Levy had taken to sit up at the breakfast counter, her legs hanging off the tall stool.

Their neighbor had become a fixture in their apartment these days. And together they became very good friends in the short time they knew one another. Enough for Natsu to offer her pancakes at least, which considering his appetite was saying something.

Snatching the bag of flour from his hands, she wagged a finger in his pouting face, "Natsu, go get dressed. I'll take care of breakfast so don't break anything."

The ladies watched the sulking demon walk off, his hands in his sweat pants. Shuffling off, the demon disappeared around the corner into his room to put on a shirt. Levy was all smiles as she watched him go, her face lighting up as she looked at Lucy. The blond swallowed nervously, suddenly very nervous over the expression on her friend's face.

"Wow Lu," She whispered conspiratorially and jerked her thumb back at where Natsu had disappeared, "Good job! Tries to make pancakes for everyone and he looks _like that_? Nice catch!"

"L-Levy!" Lucy hissed, shushing her friend with wild hand gestures and pointing towards the room Natsu had slid in. The demon had freakish hearing, and could often tell if someone was walking to their front door from across the apartment.

"What?" She scoffed, waving a dismissive hand, "You've been moping these past couple of days without him around. I was sure I was going to have to rescue you from the bottom of a tub of ice cream."

Lucy swallowed hard, a little alarmed that Levy had thought she was so upset about Natsu's impromptu trip. A tub of ice cream? Really? She wasn't that bad was it?

Alright, so she couldn't help but admire Natsu as a person. But she didn't have feelings for the man. He was a demon. It wouldn't work out!

"It's not like that," Lucy protested, although without the strength in her voice she would have preferred.

A blue lock of hair was shoved behind Levy's ear. Her head tilted back towards Lucy and she rolled large brown eyes. It was like she knew something Lucy didn't, and that frustrated her.

"You liiiiike him," Levy teased, giggling behind her hand. She squeaked and jumped off her stool to escape Lucy's grabbing hand. She let out a wild peal of laughter as she jogged away from her friend's playful smacks.

Levy slammed into Natsu who was rounding back around the corner, wearing jeans and a shirt. He caught the tiny woman before she could tumble to the ground around the collar.

"Whoa, seriously. How many times are you girls going to come slamming into me?" Natsu asked, setting the petite girl down and straightening her up, "What's the hurry?"

"Lucy has a date tonight," Levy smirked.

Silence reigned supreme between everyone. Natsu just blinked at Levy, then at Lucy. Lucy blinked at Levy, then at Natsu, and Levy was staring between the two of them as if she couldn't believe how stupid they were being.

"I do?" Lucy finally asked.

"With Bora," Levy prodded, throwing her hands into the air, "Don't you remember calling me to ask for my help getting ready?"

Natsu snapped his fingers, "Oh yeah! That was right after Lucy set the couch on fire!"

The immense pride on his face just made the memory of that night all the more embarrassing.

"Right," Lucy bit her bottom lip. She wasn't so sure she wanted to go on a date with Bora, not anymore. Tempting though it was to go on a date to have fun and dress up, her excited first date jitters had long since passed. Bora had been sort of arrogant and kind of a sleazy jerk. Still, Natsu had interrupted their date, so she supposed she owed herself another shot at a date with the man.

"Yeah I just forgot for a second, help me pick out an outfit after breakfast Levy," She said after a long moment. She ignored the expression of disappointment on her friend's face.

She didn't like Natsu like that. It was just weird and doomed from the very start. No, Bora was safe. Bora was also going to stay right where he was. With a stable job, a hint of arrogant personality, and availability.

He wasn't waging a war in another realm of existence.

He didn't have a battalion of dragons, fairies, and demons waiting for his return.

Natsu vaulted over the back of Lucy's couch and ran into the kitchen, crowding into her space to see how far she had gotten in mixing up the pancakes. A bright, fangy, smile on his face and fire glowed in the back of his throat. He was the picture of excitement. Whining and pleading, he tugged at the hem of Lucy's shirt to get her to hurry to put the pancakes on the stove and yelped when she slapped his finger away from the batter.

But Bora was no _Natsu_…

Lucy met Levy's eye as Natsu retreated to raid the pantry. Knowing what she would see in her friends' eyes, she looked back at the dented skillet and began to make the pancakes.

She was in trouble.

—::—

As evening fell, Bora walked up to the apartment building for his date with Ms. Heartfilia. He adjusted his tie and tucked the bottle of wine under his arm. Wooing the lady was part of his designs on the evening after all. He scowled up at the battered looking apartment building and pulled a face.

Not quite to his refined tastes. He hoped a lady of Lucy's standing would have more dignified lodgings, but not many women possessed both beauty and brains.

Regardless, he wasn't here for her. Not really.

The woman was pretty enough, but had no substantial wealth after running away from her lucrative family home. That was more than enough for him to lose interest in the date; long before her strange roommate had showed up with a squirrel lodged in his pink hair. Still, the man looked scratched up, battered, and a little crazy-eyed. After his sudden, rumpled appearance, Bora had written Lucy off.

Until he was paid a visit by a man.

It was hard to believe this man's story, but he knew of Lucy's roommate. The man with pink hair.

Believe it or not, when a man is dragged screaming through miles of interstate, people tend to notice.

The man said he was a representative of a select group of people, searching for their Master. A master they believed this pink haired man was, however none of them had any way of getting to him where they were. Bora assumed at first they were travelling abroad. The man who approached him had been very well dressed, so it was logical to assume they had money.

Bora couldn't have been more wrong.

Even now he could feel the pressure of the creature they had pushed into his brain. It was long, thin, and flat, like a tapeworm; only dark in color, slimy and covered in crimson barbs. It slid in through his ear, wrapping around his brain steam and leeching out its parasitic commands.

It had no real use for him. All Bora knew was that it wanted a host closer to the pink haired man. It wanted Lucy.

He tapped the door to the apartment, impatient to be rid of the parasite crawling in his head. Let it become another person's problem, he wanted out of whatever madness this lead to.

Bora took a moment to scoff at the swinging letters on the apartment door. They were the number 'seven' room, but the brass plate had swung down to make an 'L' shape.

The door jerked open to reveal two people. One was a blue haired girl he deemed pretty enough if a little flat chested. The other was the pink haired man who Bora could find blame with. Everything bad that was happening to him was thanks to this man.

"I'm Levy, and you've met Natsu before. Lu is in the living room," Levy grinned at him. She squeezed past him, inclining her head towards Natsu to follow to the number eight apartment next door.

"Thank you," Bora smiled at her, charming and calm. Levy didn't even seem to notice it, and Natsu was giving him an intense stare. He wasn't moving, his arms crossed over his chest. Shoulders framed the door, his dark eyes sharp on Bora.

"Excuse me?" Bora tried and backed away when… Was Natsu sniffing the air?

"Natsu?" Levy tried, causing the dark eyes to drag over towards her. Slow. As if he was not through giving him a third-degree stare down. If Bora hadn't known what Natsu could be, then he would have been positive the other man was jealous.

Levy's words seemed to do the trick though, and Natsu was spurred into motion. He walked forward, his fingers digging into the back of his hair. Bora turned towards the door, when a surprising wave of heat stopped him in his tracks.

He turned to see Natsu staring him down, halfway between his apartment and Levy's.

"Don't mess this up dude," Natsu warned.

With those words, he turned and left into Levy's apartment. Bora swallowed, now certain the demon the men were looking for were Natsu. He tugged at his collar, feeling uncomfortably warm now. He was sweating into his suit jacket as he stepped into Lucy's apartment.

What did Natsu or his comfort matter?

He had a job to do.


	6. Black Steel

Perhaps avoiding Lucy for a week hadn't been one of Natsu's more brilliant plans. But what could he have done? It was only a matter of time before he left to a separate realm to fight - and beat - Mard Geer. So logically, torturing himself with self imposed boredom and loneliness for a week was the best course of action.

Oh and it was SO boring. It was no wonder he couldn't last an entire week before giving up to harass Lucy. Never had he felt more useless, sitting still while their neighbor kept making weird faces at him. Was he supposed to understand what the sly smile she kept drilling him with meant?

What did he do in times before he knew Lucy? Natsu didn't know anymore, other than the fact he and Happy often conspired together to get on the collective nerves of everyone they knew. It was unfortunate Happy wouldn't be able to meet Lucy. He would really like her. And her well stocked freezer of tilapia.

Now he was sitting in Levy's apartment and trying not to think of the greasy man on a date with Lucy. He supposed he could challenge himself to understand what the weird, sly smiles his neighbor was giving him meant. Since the moment they walked into her apartment, she hadn't stopped smiling. It made perfect sense a weirdo like Lucy would have friends just as weird.

Girls and their gossiping. Natsu wasn't allowed to participate in it, but his sharp hearing didn't lie. Not that it was hard for him to pick up quiet sounds in a small apartment. So he knew what Levy was trying to say about him and Lucy. Oblivious as he was most of the time he was conscious, it was clear making pancakes was some sort of human sign of approval. Natsu didn't mean to eavesdrop— well that was a lie.

He was good at it. Hell, the dirt he had on their upstairs neighbors could shame the police.

Speaking of which, the heavy footfalls of their neighbor creaked loud overhead, the scent of metal and rust hanging from the vents. He scowled at the ceiling, a trickle of drywall blooming out, barely noticeable even for demonic eyes. It didn't sound like them; their footsteps were lighter, faster. Belonging to a woman.

Guess she had company over.

Speaking of company…

Natsu focused on the wall joining his apartment with Levy's and listened hard. He couldn't hear a peep coming from Lucy or Bora. Nothing out of the ordinary. Although his stomach clenched at the thought of what they could be doing that would generate such silence.

For some reason the thought made him feel terrible. Nausea rolled through his stomach, making him feel out of sorts. Lucy's pancakes were the culprits, he was certain of that. She should have let him make them, dented pans be damned.

"Jealous?"

The question startled Natsu out of his thoughts, his eyes falling onto the blue haired woman. Levy was a pretty human, tiny and pixie-like. He wondered, not for the first time, if she had some of the old blood in her. Her small, cotton gloved hands were spread over the brittle pages of a worn book.

He ventured closer to sit in front of her. The book was well cared for and Levy treated it with immense respect despite the fact the volume loomed over her. Earlier when Natsu had tried to pick up a book, Levy had almost ripped his hand off at the wrist.

That was right before committing the grave mistake of resting his cheek on the open pages of the old book, Levy had kicked the chair out from under Natsu. Something about the oils on his face ruining the pages. It was bad enough she had him wearing a pair of white gloves.

'Just in case' she said.

He groaned and propped his feet onto a bare patch of desk he managed to clear. It was a futile task since Levy would cover the tiny spot of cleanliness in papers, ink, reference books, and knickknacks in record time. For now it was serving as his footrest, which was why he was content to guard it. He's almost certain she was waiting for him to move away. Like some fairy hummingbird-of-prey.

"Well, are you?" Levy asked, bringing Natsu's focus back to the question.

He blinked a few times to remember what she asked him. Often times he was too busy looking at ceiling cracks to pay attention to a conversation. Racking his mind, he remembered what she asked him just a minute earlier. Which was a relief. Levy could wield a book like a claymore, and the one she was reading from would leave a hefty dent in his skull.

"Jealous? Of the guy with a purple pompadour?" Natsu clarified. Giving her a strange look, he did not understand why she was asking him if he was jealous of a guy that dumped himself in so much cologne Natsu could smell it still from inside Levy's apartment. Why would he be jealous of that loser?

Levy looked a little disappointed which confused Natsu even more. She_wanted_ him to be jealous of the weirdo with a bad perm?

"Well he's on a date with Lucy right now, I thought you would be more upset about it," Levy sighed, snapping her book closed. Natsu watched it teeter on the side of the desk and refocused his attention to the woman sitting across from him.

Was that nausea he felt because she was on a date?

"Don't know what you're talkin' about," Natsu mumbled, his eyes darting away from Levy's face. As such, he missed the flash of surprise on her face. So when he turned back to her, Levy had the largest, creepiest smile he had ever witnessed on her face.

And the Shadowmen _dared_ to attack this human?

As squishy and fragile as humans were, there was no denying they were terrifying. They were fast breeders, tenacious, clever, and always plotting. Always. Even while they slept at night, their subconscious was working overdrive for new, inventive ways to attack their enemies.

He swore he heard Lucy 'kukuku' in her sleep one night.

Humans were not the kind to trifle with. Even though only a tiny percent of the population could use magic, the rest of it learned to use their terrifying intellect for other pursuits.

Like cutting one another open.

And getting paid for it.

Natsu shuddered at the thought.

_'__And they make horror movies about _**_us_**_,'_ Natsu cringed back at Levy's cheshire smile.

His elbow knocked against the large book Levy had been reading from, distracting the woman from whatever thoughts she was planning. Her small body lunged across the desk to try and catch it from tipping. As a result she crashed into Natsu, knocking him to the floor and missed the book in its entirety.

Levy dropped the large tome on his foot so the fireball he spat up in response was _not his fault_! She surprised him!

Picking himself up from the floor, he gave Levy a look of absolute confusion. Here was a woman, who had been assaulted by shadow demons and almost had her roommates devoured. Onyx eyes narrowed with suspicion on the bubbly figure of Levy. She had picked up her precious book, sparing Natsu a single glance to ensure he wasn't dead. Then, flitting back and forth between stacks of books and wobbling towers of scrolls, Levy chattered on about the nature of the occult. Enthusiasm for the subject was a strong motivator for Levy overcoming any fear she might of have. Or that was what Natsu figured.

If that wasn't the reason, Natsu had no idea why else Levy would bother hanging out with them.

Okay, well with _him_. She and Lucy talked about other stuff he wasn't allowed to know about.

Like his butt in a pair of jeans.

Weirdos. It was like they kept forgetting he could _**hear**_ them.

Natsu didn't know why that kept coming up as a subject of discussion between them. Human women were very strange.

Instead he focused his attention on Levy who was talking about her books having all kinds of interesting knowledge and he should treat them better. It didn't matter to him, they all burned the same. What was interesting was what he noticed when he was nearly crushed by the book Levy was reading.

A black brand burned into the spine, an insignia he held on his shoulder. He caught Levy by the wrist before she could go far, ignoring her curious eye. Tugging the book from her hands, he turned it over and opened it for the first time. The fact he was showing an actual interest in reading looked like it would short-circuit Levy's brain.

Natsu's brain was with hers when he got a good look at the text.

Ancient Elvish.

Hell, Natsu was ancient and _he_ couldn't read this. He was doing good just to recognize the text.

"Are you telling me you can read this?" He demanded, "Because this is the old text of the fairies. I doubt even the current Titania could read it!"

Levy jumped at his tone and nodded, "They were passed along my family. We all were taught every language in our books!"

Natsu didn't notice Levy trying to snatch the book from his numb hands. Instead he held it over her head and began to flip through the pages. He couldn't read the text, but he was looking for something, anything. Thoughts of Lucy and her date were pushed to the back of his mind. This was the first solid clue he had since he dropped into the human realm.

The first chance he had to make it back home.

And it had been right next door the whole time.

He slid his arm on the desk and cleaned it of everything ontop of it with one strong swipe. A lamp went crashing to the ground but he wasn't paying it any attention. He dropped the book on the desk and yanked off the irritating gloves that were just getting in his way.

Levy went purple under her hair and lunged for Natsu, yanking handfuls of pink hair and dragging her fingers in his mouth to pull hard at his cheeks.

"Leave my books alone you brute!" She hissed into one sensitive ear, dragging Natsu's entire head back with her tugs.

"Ow woman! Gerroff—" Natsu's voice came in a smothered snarl, "It's magical, I ain't hurting it with my finger oils or whatever."

"You dumped everything on the floor!"

"Clean off your desk more often! I did you a favor!"

"You're cleaning this mess up!"

"Alright! Alright!" Natsu conceded, and reached around himself to snag Levy off his back. She could cling like a spider monkey on a good day, and he had enraged the tiny human. He set her on the desk next to the book and began to flip through the pages under her critical eye. As such, he slowed his fevered pace down and began to look at the illustrations.

He stopped at a drawing of a young girl, staring up at him with fathomless eyes. The image was colorless, faded brown lines on a yellowed page. But Natsu could see the green in her eyes, the paleness of her skin, the light of her curly long hair and the pink to her cheeks.

Mavis.

His heart stopped at the sight of the old queen. The ever youthful Titania who ruled before Erza stepped in to take control of the fairies.

Natsu's fingers grazed the surface of the page, his throat feeling tight as he looked at the familiar face of the fairy long since gone. She was there for him when Igneel raised him, and had sacrificed a great deal just for the chance at peace.

The mission he tried to carry out on his own was passed from father to son. But Mavis was the one who first gave the task to Igneel. The dragon had been unable to achieve it before the time of his passing, and whispered his secrets to Natsu.

Lumen Histoire. The legacy of Mavis.

Natsu had to find it before Mard Geer.

Lumen Histoire kept the darkness of Zeref at bay by containing all the light of the world. If Mard Geer were to destroy it, darkness would blanket the world and snuff out any force of good that dared to rise against it.

Mavis took a gamble by creating it. Beating back the waves of evil by pooling all the world's light into one crystal. It was hidden in the human world, away from the reach of powerful demons and fairies. Lesser demons and fairies could access the human world, but they were easily swatted. Those were the parasites, too weak for the barrier to register their existence.

Only the rulers of each race had access to the human world. Those were the most powerful of their kind. And while Mard Geer was a demon, and he currently held Natsu's throne, a false king was still a lie. He could not pass through the barrier to the human realm.

Humans were the neutral party in this war. They were unaware of difference races much less battles and their world held a natural protection against anything that could harm them. Natsu supposed that was why they evolved to have less of a reliance on magic.

He tapped the page and looked at Levy, hope in his eyes.

"Can you translate this for me? Please?" Natsu asked, his eyes wide.

Levy said nothing but was staring at him like he had grown a third head.

He blinked at her, shifting under her gaze. Not understanding why she was giving him such an intense stare, he tilted his head at her and leaned forward, "Levy are you alright?"

She nodded and blinked, jerking her head in acknowledgement, "Oh yeah. I'm fine. I'll translate it for you Natsu just—…"

"Just?" Natsu prompted. He was a little concerned now, because Levy had gone dead still sometime during his thoughts. It was only noticeable now when he was paying attention to her. Her face had gone white, and her eyes were impossibly wide.

Levy pointed at him, her finger trembling.

Something hot and liquid slid down his cheek, sliding along the curve of his jaw. His eyebrows raised and he wiped it off. A smudge of red shone bright against his hand. His fingers were coated in blood, the wound sluggish, but it was still _there_.

"Wha—"

When had he cut himself?

He was troubled by the wound materializing out of nowhere and by the suddenness of its appearance – it had shocked Levy. The human was already up to grab her first aid kit, so she didn't see Natsu jerking when a sudden slice of pain crossed his left bicep.

Sharp eyes looked down at the shallow cut on his arm, blood oozing down in a slow trickle. A knot began to work in his chest and he stood up, his head lifting to sniff the air for intruders.

Nothing. Just the scent of musty books and ink. No one was in Levy's apartment and Lucy was still with—

Natsu froze.

Uncertainty settled in his heart.

He ran to the wall they shared with Levy, jamming his ear against the surface and listening with all his might. Levy would have to ignore the bloody imprint of his cheek on her wall, although she would not be happy with the amount of property damage he had already caused her today.

Silence came from his apartment. Just like the other two times he checked.

This time he was not reassured.

Could it be the bond he shared with Lucy did more than just lock him to her? Another cut oozed near his elbow and a knot of panic tightened in his throat, further laying credence to his theory.

The nature of the bond struck him, pieces flying into place. It wasn't a normal subjugation bond they shared. Whatever it was, he had a feeling Lucy was the one being attacked, not him.

It was too quiet.

Bora seemed fine. Natsu was certain he was a normal human, but he was stupid to dismiss him outright because of that. Hadn't he earlier admired human tenacity to scare the bejeesus out of him? The humans were resourceful creatures. But that did not make them pure. Evil took many faces.

A demon should know better than that.

He didn't waste another second, sprinting out of Levy's apartment and wheeling around the corner. Natsu didn't slow his pace, slamming his shoulder against their door as hard as he could. Under normal circumstances, the door would have given way under him. But that did not appear to be the case now.

Natsu yelped when an invisible force threw him, tossing him like a rag doll into the stairs. Metal railings bent under his body, folding like paper against the attack. Natsu rolled up to his feet, his fist flaming.

A barrier huh?

He'd see about that.

_"__Fire dragons iron fist!"_ Natsu charged the door. His fist crashed into the barrier, stopping an inch from the door. He dug his feet into the ground and counterbalanced his weight to prevent himself from being thrown again, but the barrier held fast. He wasn't done though. Lucy was in the apartment, and now he knew she was in trouble.

_"__Fire dragons wing attack!"_

_"__Fire dragons claw!"_

_"__Fire dragon's crushing fang!"_

Natsu panted, his eyes flaming with rage and anger over being thwarted by a barrier. More cuts and scrapes had appeared, this time across his legs. They fueled his desperation to get to Lucy, fueling the heat of his flames and pushing him to use as much magic as he needed just to get the damn door open.

He hadn't even burned the door; although he had some satisfaction in seeing the barrier was smoking. It wasn't good enough though.

He took a deep breath of air to unleash a fiery roar at the apartment and burn the whole damn building to the ground if he had to when Levy appeared next to him to elbow him in the side.

If he spat out a chunk of lava, that was her fault.

"Let me try!" She waved the key to the apartment in his face. He nearly scoffed at that, but his jaw hit the floor when Levy walked right through the barrier and slid the key in the lock. She opened the door and stepped through. At first glance the inside looked normal. But Natsu could spot the sharp cuts that gouged deeply in the couch.

Next to it, an unconscious Bora was sprawled on his back with a Lucy-shaped footprint directly in his face. It was a little hard not to take extreme satisfaction in the sight of him knocked out cold like that. But who was he kidding? Lucy could kick like a horse and Mr. Moneybags deserved it.

Natsu made to follow her, but was repelled again. Levy blinked at him as if wondering why he wasn't following. Irritated, Natsu pressed his palms flat against the surface of the as he pounded at the barrier. The door was open, but the barrier remained. No demons allowed.

Levy snapped her fingers as Natsu ground his forehead against the barrier, trying to force his way through with strength alone, "There must be a holy relic in here somewhere that's preventing you from entering! I'll find it!"

Natsu's throat swallowed hard around a thick knot. His sharp eyes looked into the darkened apartment. He still couldn't hear Lucy, but he had not collected any more cuts in a while. She was hiding, which meant whatever was in there would be hunting her.

His eyes flickered over towards the unconscious figure of Bora. He was just a delivery service for something to take advantage of the fact he was human. Nothing ominous came from the apartment, but that meant nothing since he still couldn't sense anything from outside the barrier. That didn't instill him with a great sense of confidence.

Lucy would never forgive him if he let Levy go in there and something happened to her. At the same time, _Lucy_ was trapped in their apartment. That being said he doubted he could stop Levy even if he wanted to. Already she was halfway through the apartment, peering around dark corners.

Natsu clenched his hands around the frame of the door, baring his fangs together hard. He pressed against the empty space, body straining with the effort to push through the barrier.

He was the demon king. There weren't many barriers that could stop him flat in his tracks. Which meant…

"Be careful Levy," He growled out, "And _hurry_."

The human nodded to Natsu once, looking over her shoulder at him. She disappeared deeper into the apartment, out of Natsu's reach.

She would be fine.

They both would.

He pressed hard against the barrier.

At least he hoped so.

* * *

Only a few facts were certain in life. The sun would rise and set. Life would pass. Natsu and Lucy had it bad for one another. And she was absolutely terrified of the inside of Lucy's apartment.

Levy crept through the darkened unit, her eyes adjusting with painful slowness. A scorch mark smoldered on the wall, Levy remembering how Natsu was teaching Lucy how to control fire. She just hoped her friend would refrain from frying her. At least long enough for Levy to find what was stopping Natsu from entering.

It had been a gut feeling, but one Natsu hadn't argued with.

Who knew an encyclopedic knowledge of the occult would come in handy one day? And it was apparent enough to Natsu that her books were genuine articles. This confused her since her family said the books were all made from within the family. Regardless it was a mystery for another time. She had to focus on saving Lucy.

Levy walked through the apartment, feeling along the walls and searching for anything that looked out of place. She moved deeper inside, crawling on her hands and knees to feel along the wall. It would be tucked into a corner somewhere, right?

As she moved, she didn't notice something dark and long sliding across the walls. It moved slow and methodical. It plodded its way against the drywall with flexible spikes, twisting around light fixtures and sliding down to hang loose overhead. It stretched, uncoiling its body until its barbed skin brushed against the back of Levy's calves.

Whirling around, Levy squeaked in horror at the sight of the barbed, headless snake swaying in front of her. She backed into a wall, the creature stretching its body with ease to follow her. It stretched its body along the entire length of the apartment, and Levy could see it did more than just that.

Its barbed body punched holes in the walls, and it threaded itself through each surface, creating a giant web across the ceiling. It filled most of the apartment, casting long shadows from the thin lines of its body. Its body was segmented, folding in on itself like a fan, compressing its size to as small as it needed until it stretched out, quadrupling its length.

Levy moved to the left and the creature shot forward like a bolt. It punched through the drywall an inch from her face. A scream died in Levy's throat, her body twisting up to make herself as small of a target as possible. Could it be Lucy was trapped somewhere because of this thing?

She swallowed hard and moved her head away as the barbed snake crept closer and closer to her. Its tube-like body billowed in places, flat and round, something swelling within it until a slit cracked open in the spot where its head would be. A mouth. The swaying continued in a hypnotic manner, but it could not distract Levy from the rows of teeth bared at her.

Well this was not a good way to spend her afternoon.

She feinted to the right this time and when it took the bait, she rolled to her knees and sprinted to the left.

Not fast enough.

Something cold and barbed wrapped around an ankle, sinking deeply into her flesh and dragging her back. Levy's front hit the floor, cracking her chin on the tiled floor. Leaving no time for Levy to recover, the creature dragged her back, yanking her against the floor and towards the carpeted kitchen area.

Her hands scrambled for purchase; managing to wrap her arms around the breakfast stools they bolted down when Levy had to replace Lucy's kitchen chairs. The creature tugged in hard, furious yanks. She couldn't help the cries of pain that escaped her as she struggled to hold on.

Blood was soaking into the floor, hot and sticky around her ankle. Levy's chest lurched in fear as all she could do was hang on. Inch by inch, the snake began to work its way up her leg, twisting around her waist and wrapping around her body. For a second, Levy couldn't understand what it was doing before certainty settled on her.

She wasn't going to like it.

There was a distant thumping. Levy's cries had drawn Lucy's attention answering her question on where her friend was. Trapped in a room, bound by one of the monster's thick body parts.

Levy's grip slipped.

Her body went skidding in wild patterns against the ground. Blood ran up her back and absorbed into her shirt. She had just enough presence of mind to realize she was about to die…

When it all stopped.

A whirlwind of shrapnel skidded over her head, blowing into the wall behind her and shredding into the creature which tied her up. An inhuman screech echoed through the apartment. Barbs which had dug into Levy now loosened. Sounds of metal grinding and slashing through the air smashed into the creature.

Levy was freed, but she had no idea why.

A dark figure loomed ahead over Levy, metal tipped boots tapping against tile. The outline of a man was all she could see at first. That, and a wild mane of hair down his back. Was she really still alive? Her heart stopped in her chest.

"An' who the hell are you shrimp?"

Dark red eyes glowed against a metal studded face. He paid no attention to the writhing creature dying behind him, those sharp eyes focused instead on Levy. Her heart was still hammering in terror, not knowing if this man was a new threat. He towered over her, the breadth of his shoulders twice the size of hers.

"Levy," She managed to breathe without her voice trembling, "W-who are you..?"

The man crossed scarred arms over his chest. The light flickered on. In his hand he held an ornate golden ball with dark holes punched in it. He crushed it in his hand, twisting the metal into a pretzel with little effort.

"Gajeel. The Iron Dragon," He scoffed, his eyes flicking back towards the door, "And I'm here to drag the Salamander back home."


	7. Gajeel

Dates sucked. The truth was as simple as that. Lucy's taste in men always ventured on the wrong side of 'questionable.' Next time she was going to listen to her gut when it told her one guy was nice and the guy asking her on a date was a raging sociopath.

Really it would just be safer if she joined a nunnery. With all the demons and near-death experiences she had been having as of late, it would almost be a relief. Of course that would mean not seeing her favorite demon, which was an _unacceptable_ sacrifice.

The date hadn't started off too out of the ordinary. Bora asked to go to the rest room. When he did, Lucy felt something unusual set in the air. Like it thickened in her lungs, causing a haze throughout her apartment. Writing it off as her imagination since she _was_ nervous, Lucy waited for the pale faced Bora to return.

Of course the moment he approached her, the date began to spiral downward from 'uncomfortable' straight into 'oh _**NO**_' territory.

At first Lucy thought Bora was trying to come onto her too strong. Lucy had been waiting with their dinner on her beloved couch, when he returned. Sweat dropped from his temples and off the tip of his nose, so much Lucy grew concerned.

"Oh hey," She reached out for him the moment he dropped onto the seat cushion next to her, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm great!" Bora went for a charming smile. The man lunged for her to give her what she thought was a passionate embrace, but she stopped him with a hand to his face and shoulder.

"Whoa lover boy! Cool your jets would y— " Her protests cut off as she saw something dark and flat slither out of his ear.

_Carrion Crawler._

The knowledge of what that creature was bounced into her mind unbidden. She didn't know how she knew what it was, but Lucy was not about to question it. Precise knowledge on what that creature was, on what it wanted was clear to her.

Carrion Crawlers were parasites that could distend their bodies to take up entire spaces or as small an area as a thimble. They hid in the ears of guards or prisoners to gather information for whomever they answered to. Normally they inhabited dungeons, but this particular breed was dangerous.

They were the body snatchers of the demonic world. Crawlers would find a host, ride it until they reached their destination, whispering promises of freedom to the poor soul they entrapped. Once freed though, the human that carried the Crawler would lose much more for their service. The trauma of carrying the demon would leave their hosts brain-dead. The illusion of consciousness was just a pretty lie caused by the secretions from the Crawler itself to keep its vessel moving.

Bora had been gone for a very long time already.

Her date lunged for her again, but Lucy's heel lashed backwards and slammed into Bora's nose. The crunch that gave way under her foot was satisfying, but Lucy didn't wait to see if he was really down. The Crawler wouldn't be.

Lucy turned to see the demon sliding out of Bora's ear, its body tiny, but rapidly swelling.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted for the demon next door. She didn't wait for him to plow through the wall like normal, but scrambled over the couch. She concentrated on her hand, a small fire swelling in her palm. The process was draining, and Lucy found herself a little impressed by Natsu's ability to summon two fistfuls of fire with ease.

She threw the magic with all her might at the Crawler heading straight for her head. It's flexible body twisted away from her, nicking her cheek with the spikes lining its body. Her fire wasn't hot enough to set anything on fire, only managing to blacken the wall behind the creature.

Okay, new plan.

Run.

Whatever Bora did in the bathroom, Lucy had a feeling it was preventing Natsu from being aware of anything that was happening in the apartment. Otherwise with all the noise and screaming coming from her, Natsu would have been helping her by now.

She let out a cry of surprise as the creature sliced against her arm and leg. Its body was beginning to web along the walls, creating a maze on the ceiling. Dark smoke rose from its body like an aura, smothering the lights and casting the apartment in shadows.

Lucy wondered if it was possible to get insurance against demon attacks.

Gripping her bleeding arm, Lucy managed to twist out of the way. She backed into Natsu's room, slamming the door shut behind her. Barbs scraped along the door, Lucy wincing at the sound of deep gouges being made in the wood.

Quickly, Lucy looked at Natsu's near empty dresser and dragged it to the door. She was safe. For now.

Barricaded into a room where there were no exits. Carrion Crawlers didn't have that much stopping force. It wouldn't be able to get through the door. Even if it could punch holes in dry wall probably, it wouldn't make it into Natsu's room with brick finish along it.

Still, Lucy couldn't stay in here forever. Her head throbbed in pain and her cuts were starting to fester with angry throbs.

She groaned and flopped forward onto Natsu's bed. Her face buried into his pillow and the racing in her heart began to slow. It was such a strange thought to be entertaining when she was about to be brain-napped by a weird tapeworm demon, but Natsu's pillow smelled like him. Like cinnamon and a hearty campfire. It even felt like he recently laid in them, like the demon's presence alone was enough to keep the sheets warm.

It calmed her, enough for the throbbing in her head to dull so she could think with clarity.

She was going to be okay. Lucy had faith her friends would figure out something was wrong before the creature figured out a way to get into the room with her. Who knew, maybe it wouldn't want to get into Natsu's room. It was a huge mess.

Who would have thought this would be what her life was like. Curled on the bed of her draconic best friend while a demonic measuring tape tried to kill her. The imagination Lucy would have to come up with a fantasy like this – it would ensure her a book deal for a five series adventure story. A silly grin worked over her face as she thought about it.

There would be a dragon, a demonic king exiled from his kingdom on a quest to return to his rightful place. He would meet companions along the way, fall in love with a human princess, and together they would continue to have never ending adventures.

Lucy's cheeks warmed at the thought, her arms making their way around his pillow and hugging it to her chest. She bit her lip and exhaled through her nose.

A silly fantasy for certain.

What was the point of a never ending adventure?

_'__You are destined to have an endless adventure Ms. Heartfilia.'_

The memory sprang to her mind, long since forgotten.

Lucy's eyes closed, her nose sinking into the pillow and breathing in the smoky scent. A crooked smile worked over her face as she remembered the fortune teller the memory belonged to.

Ultear.

Lucy had been so surprised when Natsu dragged her to the witch's shop. The last time Lucy saw the beautiful woman she was a high school student running to catch the bus. Her father's estate liked to chauffer her with expensive cars, but Lucy never failed to evade them to ride the bus.

On her mad rush to catch it one day, she ran by a fortune teller, garbed in thick blue robes and a crystal ball sliding perfectly balanced along the back of a slender arm.

_'__Interested in hearing your fortune young lady?'_ the woman's voice came in a sultry purr.

_'__I'm sorry, I'm late for school,'_ Lucy had apologized and made to move away.

The woman just laughed quietly in the back of her throat, the crystal ball billowing with smoke within its walls and swirling a deep shade of pink,_'There is always time for a free fortune Ms. Heartfilia.'_

Lucy remembered freezing, turning towards the woman in fascination. She was not aware of how the woman knew who she was, but she could not deny her breathless excitement.

_'__You will have an endless adventure,'_ The woman murmured, _'It will be fraught with danger and excitement, but you will be surrounded by lifelong friends.'_

Dark eyes flashed up to Lucy's wide brown, _'You will know a great love.'_

Her voice dropped lower, _'and through that love, you will know an even greater heartbreak.'_

Disturbed but interested, Lucy swallowed in nervous anticipation. But the woman drew her hands away, the ball fading back to normal when a yellow bus pulled to a stop a block ahead.

She pointed a slender finger ahead_, 'It looks like your ride is here Ms. Heartfilia. Don't worry, we'll meet again one day.'_

Young Lucy gave the woman a flustered look before rushing off to catch her bus. When she returned, the woman was gone. And up until recently, Lucy had pushed all thoughts of the strange woman and her cryptic words away.

That was until Natsu came barging into her life like the force of nature he was. Her heart thumped in her chest and Lucy squeezed the pillow tight to her chest. When Ultear spoke about a great love, was it possible she was referring to Natsu?

Her heart squeezed and Lucy strangled the pillow in her hands. Could it be the reason she was so hesitant about this date with Bora was that she had feeling for Natsu?

Had Levy been right the whole time with her secret hints and not-so-gentle nudges?

Was she in love with Nat—

A scream of pain tore Lucy's attention from her thoughts. It doused her like cold water and she leapt to her feet, tearing to the door and shoving aside the dresser. That sounded like Levy, but what was she doing in the apartment.

She shoved against the door, but it swung instead into the elastic body of the demon outside. It had stretched itself taut over the door, preventing her from exiting.

Horror bloomed in Lucy's heart and she yanked at the door with a desperation she didn't have before.

"Levy! Levy are you okay?" Lucy cried out, bruising her fists on the back of Natsu's door.

There was no response, only muffled scrambling and scratching. Lucy couldn't hear anything well from her spot trapped within her friend's room. Just as Lucy was about to hit ramming speed into the door and more than likely dislocate her shoulder, a loud screech vibrated the walls of the apartment.

The door swung open innocently, the lights flickering back on.

Gasping, Lucy ran out, expecting to see Natsu and Levy standing in her living room.

However, she froze at the sight of the imposing man standing over her friend, long wild hair down his back, flashing eyes and piercings studded in his face.

"W-Who are you?" She heard Levy stammer.

Strong arms were folded over the man's chest, and he crushed a golden orb in his hand. His eyes were trained on Levy, but Lucy knew he was aware of her standing behind them. The man's back straightened, staring at Levy with an odd expression on his face.

"Gajeel, the Iron Dragon," He sneered. His body angled itself to the front door, "And I'm here to drag the Salamander back home."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock at Gajeel's words, drag the Salamander back? Did he mean Natsu? So shocked was she, Lucy didn't notice the twisted remains of the golden ball turned a brassy black and the air loose its thick quality.

Natsu fell face first into the apartment, from where he had clearly been trying to head butt his way into the perimeter.

He squawked, flailing his arms around in wild circles to try and catch himself, but flopped face first into the floor. He ate carpet, but jumped up quickly, his body alert for danger and fists raised.

Dark eyes froze on Gajeel, a mixture of emotions flickering over his face for a confusing length of time.

"_Gajeel_," Natsu spluttered, his eyes wide on the dark man standing over Levy, "What're you – never mind."

His eyes darted over towards Levy, resting on Lucy. She noticed cuts across his cheek and arms, thinking the placement of them was odd and familiar. She was distracted from that for the moment when Gajeel bent down and ripped off Levy's headband, bandaging up her friend's ankle with quick motions.

"Hey take it easy! She's hurt!" Lucy cried out and ran over to her friend, who looked like she was trying hard not to cry. The dragon met her eyes, locking her into place with a hard, steely glare.

"Don't be a baby, shrimp here is tougher'n you think. She lasted a pretty long time against a Carrion Crawler," Gajeel let out an odd sounding laugh, Lucy's eyebrows raising in faint surprise.

A shudder worked down her spine as Gajeel continued to bandage the wound, Levy's assurances that she was fine falling on deaf ears.

So the creature really was a Carrion Crawler?

But how had she known that?

Natsu bent down next to her, his hand dropping down on her shoulder. She looked into his dark eyes, a knot of tension uncoiling in her at the relaxed smile on his face. She nodded at Gajeel and then gave Natsu a questioning look.

"Friend of yours?" She asked.

He lifted his shoulders and grinned at her, "Under the loosest interpretation of the word, I guess you could say that."

He jerked his head at Gajeel and Lucy could see he was thinking a hundred things under his fathomless dark stare, "Gajeel is the King of the Dragons. He took my dad's place after he died. He's the drake of our nest."

Natsu frowned, and Lucy barely caught the question he growled under his breath, 'which makes me wonder what the hell he's doing _here'_

Gajeel's hearing was just as sharp as Natsu's apparently, because he snorted from where he finished tying up Levy's leg.

"Like I was tellin' your little friends here. I'm here to drag you back Salamander. Lily overheard you talkin' with Happy, and 'the Great Divide' is Ultear's shop. Wasn't hard to figure out where ya were," He turned his head towards the pink haired demon, "The war effort ain't goin' so good and we need your help if we're gonna win it."

Natsu stared at Gajeel and Lucy felt a bucket of ice slide down her chest.

"Bad how?"

"Bad."

Natsu's face was unreadable and Lucy's chest tightened with nerves. Was he going to leave her? Just like that? In a flash, Natsu's eyes caught Lucy's, so quick the human thought she had imagined it for the briefest second.

"No," Natsu replied with simple conviction.

Gajeel's jaw dropped and Lucy's followed along. Natsu was always itching for a fight, and very little could distract him from one.

"What do you mean '_**no**_,'" Gajeel looked close to exploding. Levy edged away from the angry dragon, which Lucy thought was an excellent strategy. What was the saying? Let sleeping dragons lie?

"I mean _no_," Natsu snapped back, getting into Gajeel's face with a growl. The other dragon snarled until the two of them were grinding their foreheads together with equal ferocity, "I'm not done here!"

Gajeel grabbed the pink haired demon, and Lucy thought for a moment he was going to strike Natsu. Her friend clearly looked as if he was trying to encourage Gajeel to violence.

"What could _possibly_ be more important than the lives of the guild?" Gajeel physically shook Natsu.

For Lucy it was a little surprising to see Natsu getting shaken around like that, but the man looked like he was tolerating it for the moment. She knew Gajeel wasn't the kind to back down from a fight just by looking at him. Neither was Natsu, so Lucy was unsure where this was going between them.

"Mavis," Natsu muttered.

Whatever that one word meant, it did the trick. Gajeel's eyes went wide and he dropped Natsu. A flicker of emotions crossed the iron dragon's face, none of which filled Lucy with a sense of confidence. She edged next to Levy and curled her arm around her friend, who was just as confused as she was. However Levy's eyes seemed focused on them too. As if the name Mavis meant something to her too.

"Damn it Natsu, you aren't goin' on about Lumen Histoire are ya?" Gajeel growled, raking a frustrated hand through his hair, "I know you think it existed because Igneel told ya, but it doesn't! It isn't possible for Mavis to have made somethin' like that!"

Natsu actually looked angry at Gajeel's words. He snarled at the other dragon, more furious than Lucy could remember seeing him, "It does exist! Igneel wasn't a liar!"

Lucy watched Natsu bare his fangs and glare at Gajeel so hotly, steam rose from his head, "Igneel told me it was in the human realm before he died. And I just figured out where in the human world! It's in this town somewhere, that's why I left!"

"Really?" Gajeel asked in disbelief, his arms crossing over his chest, "Then why haven't you found it yet?"

Ruby eyes flashed over towards Lucy.

Natsu's face went red under his pink hair and he growled at Gajeel, "That's—well, none of your damn business!"

"Lucy bound Natsu to her so he can't leave her side for long or very far," Levy cut in, tired of the male testosterone that was spilling all over Lucy's carpet. Lucy couldn't blame her. Levy was looking pretty exhausted from the ordeal of fighting off a demon solo, and the boys snipping at one another was not the best way to ease her mind.

Still, Levy had thrown her right under the bus. Ouch.

Gajeel stared at Natsu, who turned bright red now, and Lucy who was hiding her face in her hands.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me," Gajeel gaped.

"How the hell does the _Great_ Demon King Natsu get bound by some little human girl?" Gajeel stared at Natsu, torn between laughing and swearing.

"It's a mystery," Levy deadpanned, looking very cross, "It must be love. Now can I please get some help here?"

She pointed a small finger at the Dragon King and then down at herself. Gajeel looked a little surprised by the human's impudence, but moved to obey her regardless, "Pick me up and put me on the couch."

"Uhhhh," Gajeel hummed in confusion.

"Just listen to them, it's safer that way," Natsu grinned at Gajeel over his shoulder as he took the opportunity to finally check on Lucy's cuts.

She was grateful for the attention, and for the topic to veer off from darker subjects. It was clear enough that Natsu was not going to leave any time soon, but one day he would.

_A great love leads to a greater heartache._

Strong arms wrapped around her, despite Lucy's ability to walk fine. She was lifted through the air as if she weighed nothing but Natsu still staggered like a dramatic fool to the love seat like she weighed a metric ton. It earned him a light smack to his arm and a gentle smile that he returned in full strength.

He transferred her to the smaller couch and flopped down next to her, his arms tucking behind his head and his heel dropping down on the coffee table.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, turning his head to her. Lucy swallowed under his focused stare, a crooked smile crossing his face. She answered his with a sheepish smile of her own.

"I'm fine," Lucy's hand lifted to his cheek, remembering the cuts he had that strangely seemed to mirror her own. His eyes widened and he went very still when her fingers grazed under his cut. Their eyes met long and hard, the focus in Natsu's burning stare causing a flush to work over her cheeks.

Lucy's fingers twitched against his hot skin, but she almost flinched when his warm hand circled around her wrist, lightly pressing her fingers into his cheek. He gave her a small smile of encouragement, and Lucy smoothed her palm against him.

"What happened? It's not like you to hurt yourself," Lucy asked him, ignoring the way Levy and Gajeel were staring at them.

Specifically the way that Levy had her hand clamped over Gajeel's mouth to drag him back from saying _anything_ to interrupt the scene playing out before them. The iron dragon himself was no doubt too shocked to say anything.

"It isn't a huge deal," Natsu tried to brush it off with a grin, but Lucy was alert enough to know there was something off by his smile. She lifted her other hand to his cheek and leaned in closer to him.

She felt heat come off him in a wave, but he held still under her grip despite how she knew he could easily break her hold. She rolled over onto her knees to lean forward, causing Natsu's arm to snake around her waist to keep her steady. A shudder of warmth ran through her and she smiled at him.

"I'm not stupid Natsu, tell me," She encouraged him with a quiet smile.

Natsu's blinked at her, the long lashes from the corners of his eyes brushed against the edges of the fingers closest to his eyes. He stared at her transfixed and he opened his mouth.

"Oy, Salamander," Gajeel interrupted, pulling Levy's hand off from his mouth and staring sharply at the other dragon, "I left something for you from Happy outside. Why don't you go grab it? It's on my bike."

Natsu shook his head a little, as if knocking loose the remnants of a spell that clung to him. He grinned at Lucy and distractedly turned towards Gajeel.

"Really? From Happy?" He asked, sliding across the loveseat and standing up. He made sure Lucy was settled with a grin as he got up to stride across the living room. Lucy tried not to feel disappointed when Natsu headed to the front door and didn't look back.

Once he was gone, Levy smacked Gajeel's shoulder, looking rather irate with the iron dragon. Gajeel didn't even notice the human's whap, and reclined back further on the sofa.

"What did you do that for?" Levy demanded of him. Personally, Lucy was a little put out with Gajeel too.

The man in question stared at where Natsu had disappeared and frowned at the two humans. He stood up at them, leveling them both with a stony glare.

"What are you expecting is going to happen if Salamander falls in love with Blondie over here, huh?" He asked Levy, crossing his arms at her, "It's one thing that he's a dragon, but he's also a demon. They don't do love the way other species do. Yer gonna make his head _explode_."

"Natsu has a huge capacity for love though," Lucy argued. Not for herself, but she didn't like the idea of anyone thinking Natsu was incapable of an emotion he felt to the depth of his being. Especially not someone who claimed to have Natsu's interests in heart.

Gajeel scowled at Lucy and nodded, "He didn't always though."

Sighing at their confused scowls, Gajeel raked a frustrated hand through his hair and moved towards the door, checking to see if Natsu would come back soon. Luckily, the idiot had ran off without asking Gajeel where he parked his bike. So he would have to sniff it out. That would take him a good minute.

"Natsu wasn't always such a nice guy. He was a real piece of work, the leader of the demons," Gajeel didn't look at either of the humans, "Demon King END. He'll sooner punch you in the face now if you call him that to his face."

He shook his head, "He was a bad guy. That's all you need to know. Igneel was the Drake at the time, and even he had trouble fighting against END's fire. So he worked with Mavis, the Titania of the fairies to put a seal on END.

"But he was too powerful. And not even their combined strength could fully drop the bastard," Gajeel shrugged, "It was a fierce battle, but they managed to put the seal on END which robbed him of his power and his age. It reverted him to a childlike state and instead of killing him when he had the chance, Igneel chose to raise END as his own child. Etherious Natsu Dragneel just became Natsu Dragneel."

"Under Igneel, Natsu learned how to love and how to feel like others do, but it ain't easy for him to understand it," He canted his head towards Lucy and Levy, "When Igneel died, he disappeared for a year with his spirit Happy. No one knew where he went. No one knew if he was dead, if he went back to being END, or even if he was alright. I became King of the Dragons by default since Igneel never had any biological hatchlings of his own, and my pops was brothers with him. Natsu's my cousin."

Lucy stared at the dragon in surprise, not sure what to say to him. It was obviously painful for him as well. To her surprise, Levy hobbled back to her feet and tossed the remote at Gajeel. It bounced harmlessly off his chest and the dragon stared at her in confusion, unsure why he was being attacked by a human he could easily blow over.

"You're an idiot," Levy lifted her chin at Gajeel, "Who cares if loving is hard for him, or if you're going to drag him back to his home world. Wars, allies, friends, enemies. We'll lose them _all_ eventually."

"The only thing that matters now is being here with Lucy is making him happy. It's making them _both_ happy," Levy scoffed, "So what if it isn't love? It's better than what you can find on the bottom of a trench!"

Gajeel stared at her in surprise and reached out to catch the tiny human when she started to topple over. Lucy watched it all with a little surprise.

"We're living today, I think that's more important than what will happen tomorrow," Levy muttered, her cheeks red in embarrassment that Gajeel had to catch her while she was lecturing him. Lucy was impressed she was talking such smack to the dragon. He had destroyed the demon earlier with just a little effort.

He let out a long sigh and lifted Levy over a shoulder, ignoring her sudden squawks of protest, "Alright. I'm putting this bity little shrimp back in her home before she decides to _try_ and pick a fight with me. Tell the Salamander we'll stay long enough for him to find a solid clue on Lumen Histoire, since we can't drag you out onto a battlefield. He wins this time."

"Put me down Gajeel!"

"Yeah _**no**_."

The whole scene unfolded in front of Lucy like some sort of movie and she was dumbfounded when they left. By the time Natsu returned, those two were gone and he accidentally stepped on Bora. Lucy winced; they would have to come up with something to do with _him_… He might recover at a hospital. Maybe.

"Where'd everyone go?" Natsu asked Lucy, glancing around for Gajeel and Levy.

"I think they might have gone out on a date?"

"…Well at least someone did."


	8. Painting and Drinking

Lucy was acting weirder than normal. If anyone asked Natsu if that was possible a few weeks ago, he would have scoffed. Lucy act weirder? Impossible.

But there she was, alternating between boring holes into the side of his head and squeaking like a mouse when he looked at her. What was wrong with the human? Was she sick? Did she come down with some crazy human-disease he didn't know about? Was it a common ailment among her species? _He didn't know_. He wasn't squishy like her.

It was two weeks since the incident with the Carrion Crawler. They sent Bora to the hospital where he would be under medical supervision, but the chances of him making a recovery were less than slim. Still, they couldn't just leave him drooling on the floor of Lucy's messed-up apartment.

Speaking of which…

Lucy had enlisted the help of her three new go-to companions for assistance on patching up the holes in her apartment and covering up the new scorch marks. The idea of fixing up the apartment again was getting tedious, and all Natsu wanted to do was burn the whole damn complex to the ground.

"Can't we just move again?" Natsu whined, sheetrock cracking at his fingers. He made the mistake early on of sticking his hand in the liquid joint compound and now his fingers were caked in white. Flakes spilled off his hands in chunks while he scraped a putty knife across the gouges the creature dug into the walls.

The answering sigh from Lucy was evidence enough, "No Natsu we cannot move. With as many places as we've lived, it would probably be a huge red flag to the fire department if we get up and start trying to move again."

"Besides," Gajeel grunted from where he was repairing the bent metal stools, "If ya move and draw attention to yerself, we're going to just be runnin' from people who know you're around. Carrion Crawlers aren't that reliable. Maybe we'll get lucky and whoever caught your scent will move on."

Natsu growled in frustration, dragging the metal across the patched wall, "It would be faster if we just got the hell out of here though. Seriously, one little fire and— "

"Natsu no! Keep working!" Lucy's voice came loud and firm around the corner. He cringed at the seriousness in her voice and moved along the wall like the obedient demon he was.

"You _never_ let me have any fun," Natsu mumbled, pouting. He hid a small grin as he worked, glancing over his shoulder to Lucy. As predicted, her cheeks puffed out from annoyance. A clear sign she was dealing with him today. It was almost criminal how easy it was to get her flustered.

"Housework isn't supposed to be fun!" Lucy chided him, walking over to the demon to smack him lightly with a dishrag. His eyes followed the full motion, drawing over it and falling on the pink line across Lucy's cheek.

The night after Bora was quiet between them. Natsu hating himself for not being able to break through to prevent Lucy and Levy from getting hurt, while Lucy was saddened by the fact Natsu's body reflected her injuries.

Soft touches bandaged and treated one another's scrapes and bumps. Neither saying more than the quiet 'you okay?' at the occasional hiss of pain. Natsu's heart raced in remembrance, sensations of Lucy's hands winding a bandage around his bicep stuck in his mind like a ghost.

Her cuts from the attack were mostly healed up now. But anxiety knotted in his chest when he realized the reminder from the attack still remained. How much longer would it take? He wasn't used to his friends still being bumped and scraped. She assured him it was normal, but how could it _possibly_ be normal for her? His cuts had healed over completely by the next day.

It was a sobering thought to see the remnants, but he also wasn't stupid enough to think there was anything he could do about it. He just had to be able to protect her better! This would be his personal mission, to ensure her safety above all else.

Feeling heartened, Natsu jumped onto the balls of his feet and crunched his compound-coated fingers at Lucy. A demonic smile spread across his face, chesire-like and full of sharp teeth. Lucy took a wise step back, lifting her wet paintbrush like a cross to ward him off.

"Don't you _dare_ Natsu."

His eyes narrowed to give her an appraising look. Shifting his weight forward, he advanced a single step. Predatory eyes noticed the flush working across Lucy's cheeks and the hesitation in her stride as she instinctively matched his stride.

Backwards.

She realized she gave ground a second too late to raise her brush. Natsu pounced on her with a growl of delight, his hands aiming straight for her clean shirt. The human shrieked in protest and ducked away, swiping sideways with her paintbrush. A wide stripe of white paint gleamed against Natsu's tanned arm.

Silence fell, Lucy's face going pale as she realized that no matter how accidental it had been, she just declared war on Natsu.

He grinned.

"C'mon shorty, lets get out of here," Gajeel muttered, jerking his thumb back towards the front door, "It's about to get real messy in here an' I don't like the look on that dumbasses' face."

Under normal circumstance, Natsu would have jumped on the chance to snarl at Gajeel and drag him into a fight. But this time his target was Lucy. He would not be distracted. The expression on her face when she realized how big of a pothole she stepped in only goaded him on.

"Natsu, w-wait. It was an accident!" She tried, hiding behind her weapon. Talking sense into him wouldn't work, his grin spread even wider.

She should know that.

Oh and it was clear she did, because a second later she squeaked and _ran_.

Natsu chased after her with a growl of excitement. Last time he hunted her down she messed with his head in the small confines of the apartment by spraying her horrible lavender body spray _everywhere_. This time he wasn't going to let her get far enough to make a cloud of liquid death.

He could still smell lavender when he sneezed sometimes.

Lucy whipped around a corner, her blond ponytail swinging behind her. Of course he followed, but drove to a stop on his heels when he saw the out of breath human had also turned to face him.

In her hand she clenched three brushes over the tarp they were standing on, all of them dripping with white paint. He stared at her in surprise. It was a pretty daring move, estimating Natsu wouldn't be able to attack and stop all three brushes at once. Clever, and it would work against most people…

"Not even you're crazy enough to try now!" Lucy grinned, breathless in her victory. Her smile was wide and her chest rose and fell with the excitement she had outwitted him. She made two crucial mistakes though. One, he was certifiably insane even by demonic standards. Two.

He wasn't 'most people.'

Natsu dropped into a fast crouch, snagging the tarp under Lucy's feet and yanking hard. Her shriek of terror and surprise rang in his ears like a victory bell, but Natsu didn't take the opportunity to savor it. He was on her in a flash before she could fall, an arm twining around her waist to keep her body supported.

The paint brushes spilled through the air and spun in wild circles, throwing flecks of paint across tile and walls. Tiny spots of white littered the carpet like fine dust but he paid it no mind. His left hand caught each handle between his fingers. Slow and predatory, he bent over his captured friend. Despite what he said, Lucy was actually very light for him.

Her body nestled right in the crook of his arm, her hand coming up to gasp around his back for balance. It was almost easy to ignore the frantic way her fingers dug into the meat of his shoulder when she was staring at him like that.

Lucy's eyes were wide, her cheeks a telling shade of pink.

Her mouth was still opened, moving in a wordless gasp. Natsu felt a new surge of heat burn through his chest, spreading from his heart.

"Not a bad try," Natsu grinned at her, his voice soft but even he recognized it was far from light. There was an edge to it that hadn't been there before. Lucy's eyes flicked down for a second, resting near his mouth before lifting up to his eyes.

His heart thudded in surprise. Wait, had he imagined that or—

"You cheated," Lucy chided, just as soft as him. Her body relaxed in his hold, the tension drawing out of her and into him. His eyes sharpened on the way her teeth worried her lower lip, drawing an enticing shade of rose lifting to the curve of her mouth. The wild thought of caressing his tongue across her mouth to taste for himself sprang to his mind before he dismissed it at madness.

**_Complete_** insanity.

"I'm a demon, who did you think you were playing with?" He reminded her, his grin dark and crooked. That was a fact he was becoming all too aware of with her in his arms. His thumb lightly pressed against the curve of her spine, drawing a shiver from her. One he almost echoed.

His weight shifted forward and Lucy's hand shifted up along his neck, her fingers twining into the hair at the nape of his neck. This time he did shiver at the sensation of her nails running against his scalp.

Slow so not to break the hold she had on him, he leaned over her and dropped all but one brush on the tangled mess of tarp under their feet. He lifted the brush up to her face, watching her reactions to every shift he made. Lucy held still, holding her breath as he bent over her like a dark shadow. His hand came up to press against a single rosy cheek.

She felt it move in soft strokes against her, the wet paint cooling against her flushed skin.

Natsu left a tiny star across her skin, the brush sliding from between his fingers and clattering to the floor along with the rest of the 'weapons.' Their eyes were fixated, and they were close. So close Natsu could pull in Lucy's scent, clean from artificial fragrances, lifting from her skin.

Sugar and spice. Rolled together in an odd blend of vanilla and… cinnamon. She was starting to smell a little like _him_. Something akin to fierce pride and satisfaction roared through his chest at the realization, his grip tightening around Lucy.

Her fingers twisted more firmly into his hair, enough to assure Natsu he wasn't imagining it. The pressure from her hand on the back of his head encouragement enough to know whatever was stringing between the two of them was only winding them together in a tight knot.

"Natsu," Lucy's voice was as soft as a whisper, and laced with nuances Natsu didn't understand. He was certain Lucy was a witch. Because he was drawn to her as if he no longer had any control over his physical body. The way she said his name _burned_ him. He was no stranger to desire, or the way it could set him aflame in a moments notice. Natsu was the very definition of a hot-blooded male.

But this was Lucy.

"_Lucy_," His voice came out low and drawn out. A growl from the back of his throat. It was either a warning or a prayer. He couldn't be certain, but his heart was beating a wild drum his brain was helpless to catch.

Her breath was warm against his cheeks, coming in gentle puffs against his skin. Brown eyes closed to him and Natsu drifted closer, shifting his weight.

His heel twisted, sliding into a discarded paintbrush, his body shifting out from under his center of gravity. Foot sliding across the plastic tarp, Natsu let loose a high-pitched shriek as his forehead slammed headfirst into Lucy's. They fell forward, Natsu managing to twist himself under Lucy so he wouldn't crush her.

Now just a tangle of limbs and his forehead positively throbbing, Natsu groaned when his head landed in a puddle of white paint. The tarp twisted around his ankles, leaving a whining Lucy sprawled out sideways on him. He caught his breath, the blow to his head knocking some sense back into him. He had been about to kiss Lucy. But more importantly than that—

She had been about to let him.

The moment shattered with the most effective head-butt Natsu ever experienced, he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He cringed at the way Lucy looked like he had given her a concussion and sat her up, pulling her hands away from her forehead where an angry red spot throbbed on her forehead.

"Sorry, I lost my balance," Natsu apologized, looking a little embarrassed from accidentally assaulting his roommate. Lucy had tears stinging the corner of her eyes and she gave him an angry pout.

"You lost your balance? How could you have possibly lost your—" Lucy cut herself off at the bambi eyes Natsu was leveling at her.

She huffed in discomfort and leaned forward, surprising Natsu by pressing a feather soft kiss against his forehead where his head had come in contact with hers. It startled him enough to give her a wide eyed look, his mouth hanging open as she stood up.

"Your hair is covered in primer," Lucy gave him a faint smile and pointed at him, "You might want to take a shower."

Natsu sat there, dumbfounded with a blush stretching over the entire expanse of his tanned face. The human walked away from him without so much as a backwards glance and turned the corner. He only blinked when she peeked her head back around and grinned at him.

"_Oh, and I win_," She blew him a raspberry.

Natsu's jaw dropped as Lucy stepped out, a bounce to her step and looking pleased with herself.

That little…

A slow grin made his jaw lift.

Lucy really was something.

-::-

Natsu didn't need enhanced hearing to know they were making a hell of a racket. That evening after the apartment was patched back together by a tremendous amount of drywall mesh, putty, joint compound, and paint; the four of them got together to celebrate their hard work. The two girls toasted with wine, while Natsu and Gajeel rummaged around the cabinets for something a bit harder.

Eventually Gajeel found a gallon of paint stripper.

Which was close enough.

Ignoring the girls horrified exclaims, Natsu dropped a lit match into his mug and watched a large plume of fire break free from the surface.

"Whoa! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu inhaled the fire, feeling a little dizzy from the flames tickling at his throat. He slammed his mug against Gajeel's and began to throw back their drinks.

"You guys are drinking paint stripper!" Levy exclaimed, staring in shock as Gajeel wiped the back of his mouth with his hand. He tossed his head back to catch the bolts he had dropped into his mug, crunching them loudly between powerful jaws.

"Yeah? 'N so what shorty?" Gajeel asked her, a fangy smile on his face, "You think we're going to get a little buzzed off some old grapes?"

Natsu burped and poured some more of the paint thinner into his mug, "This isn't as good as the stuff gramps makes, but it does the trick."

Lucy snatched the box of matches away from his grip and he gave her a baleful look for taking them away. She held them over her head and he swiped for them. Natsu was too lazy to stand up and really take a swing for them though and let out a whine in the back of his throat. They were just out of his reach.

"There's no way I'm letting you light that on fire in here!" Lucy gave Natsu a pointed glare, "We're not setting the couch on fire again!"

"But _you_ did that."

"That's not the point!"

She jabbed a finger into his chest and glared at him. Natsu followed the point of her finger all the way up to her face, his lower lips jutting out in disappointment.

"The stripper gives off fumes which are toxic to us squishy humans, so either do your dangerous fire breathing drinking outside, or just sit by the window and drink it like a normal person!" Lucy nudged his shoulder, pushing both dragons over to the window as directed.

The two reluctant men flopped down on two barstools Gajeel fixed. Settled in front of the window, they dragged their gallon of chemicals along with them while Lucy and Levy toasted with their own bottle of wine.

Natsu watched with fascination as the two got completely wasted while he and Gajeel made their way through the gallon. Both women dropped off into a giggling mess until they fell asleep on one another, drooling on the couch.

"Tch, lightweights," Gajeel smirked, giving Levy an amused look. Natsu watched the interaction with interest, his eyes narrowing a bit at how he almost gave the little human an expression bordering on _affection_.

"Wait—do you—?" He began slow, watching Gajeel standing up and brushing his hands on his pants.

"Like the shrimp?" Gajeel frowned at Natsu and pushed his mug towards the fire eater. He rolled his tattooed shoulder and shook his head, "You sure you wanna ask me that question when you can't stop lookin' at blondie over there?"

Natsu couldn't even deny it. He _was_ starting at Lucy. Practically at every given opportunity. But he had lived with the human for months, his… complicated and knotted feelings for her only increasing in dramatic ways.

Nervous, Natsu fingered the necklace he made, hidden under his beloved scarf. Lucy hadn't asked about it… or what was hidden inside in a great length of time. She had probably forgotten all about it, and its treasure.

"I told 'em both about you," Gajeel spoke with such a casual air, it was almost like he made a comment on the weather.

Natsu knew with a certain kind of immediacy that he needed to stop drinking five minutes ago. Still he pushed his mug away, feeling as if his heart had turned to ice itself. It was like water was pumping through his veins instead of blood. A light headed feeling rocked through Natsu, attributed to the paint thinner and partially to the shock boiling within him.

Shock which morphed into anger.

"_You did what?"_ Natsu hissed, jerking up to his feet hard enough the newly repaired stool toppled over. His fists curled into tight balls at his side, muscles trembling in anger as a flurry of emotions worked over his face.

He hadn't wanted Lucy to know about him.

"That wasn't your story to tell!" Natsu snarled at Gajeel, hating how the iron dragon stood there with his mug raised to his lips. Calm as he could be. Natsu never wanted to punch him so hard in his life.

"Isn't it?" Gajeel said with a sharp sort of edge to his voice, one that spoke of a coming storm about to break. Natsu's anger gave ground to frustration, but he didn't back down. Red eyes locked onto him.

"My old man died that night too," Gajeel said with short patience, "It's my story also and they deserved to know what they stepped into."

It took some of the wind out of Natsu's sails, but he grit his teeth, his eyes hard and glaring at the drake in front of him. The reminder of what he had been and how his presence in the dragon's nest had resulted in the death of both of their parents was like a wound that never healed right, "But I was – "

"You were a real shit kind of a monster. Yeah, I know," Gajeel grunted, dropping the glass down in the table once he drained it, "But you ain't that guy anymore."

"It's never bothered you like this before," He met Natsu's eyes and jerked his thumb back at Lucy. She mumbled something that sounded like 'pancakes' in her sleep. They both watched her in silence, "It's her isn't it?"

Natsu looked down, reluctance lined in the rigidity of his body. He was unable to breathe a word to deny Gajeel's words though. Everything became so complicated ever since he met Lucy. He had a duty that he owed to Fairy Tail. They became his family after the demons robbed him of his father. He fought with them for centuries.

But Lucy…

"It doesn't matter, I'm not sticking around here forever anyway," Natsu bent at the waist, grabbing the bar stool and straightening it.

"Damn right you ain't," Gajeel grunted as he watched the fire dragon moving. A flush was warm over Natsu's cheek, a clear sign that their 'alcohol' was finally beginning to hit his system. Still, Natsu was looking miserable and it was sort of a pathetic look on him. Gajeel scowled at the way Natsu slumped in his chair, spinning his mug by the handle with a single finger.

Flamebrain had it bad. Who would have thought the great and terrible demon, the END of days himself, would fall for a slip of a human girl?

"I don't think it matters to her that you were a real bastard centuries ago," Gajeel grunted and sat back down across from Natsu, shoving the half filled mug back towards Natsu. Gajeel set about refilling his own mug, deciding to show his fellow dragon a shred of mercy.

"She's known about it for two weeks, and she's still been making doe eyes at ya," Gajeel shrugged.

Slowly, Natsu lifted his head and blinked. He wasn't sure what Gajeel was referring to when he mentioned 'doe eyes,' but at least now he knew the reason behind why Lucy was acting even weirder than normal.

But…

Natsu rubbed his forehead where Lucy's absurdly soft lips pressed against his skin.

A small smile worked over his face and he downed the rest of the alcohol, a happy buzz working through his body. His smile worked over his face again and he breathed out, calming the panic in his heart.

How could he be stupid enough to think Lucy would care about his past like that? Sure, it might have been a little weird for her to think about, but today hadn't she proved she didn't care?

"C'mon ya runt, lets put them to bed," Gajeel grunted, nodding over to the two women who were curled up on top of one another.

Natsu looked up to see Gajeel had already moved across the room and scooped Levy into his arms. She really looked like a pixie in his thick arms. Small arms slung over his shoulder, her nose tipping into his neck. Natsu raised an eyebrow at the flush that rose to Gajeel's cheeks.

It looked like he wasn't the only one who had a human worming her way under his skin.

Saying nothing but a casual wave, Natsu walked over to where Lucy was sprawled on the couch by herself. Grinning more to himself than anything else, he gathered her up and carried her past the empty wine bottles and into her room. He settled her onto the bed, rolled her onto her side and dragged the blanket over her shoulders.

Considering he smelled like lighter fluid and vapor, he opted _not_ to crawl into bed with her tonight. That, and him sliding into bed with her while intoxicated himself was just asking for trouble.

He headed back into his room, dropping down face first onto his pillow

Vanilla.

A drowsy smile crept over his face and he breathed in the scent on his pillow. _'When did Lucy come into my room?'_

It was very faint. Maybe a couple of weeks old. Arms wrapped around the cushion, dragging it to his chest. Still, it was sorta nice.

-::-

Natsu crammed his face against the rattling car window. He sucked in a lungful of clean air; his desired path of escape was cut off. Thanks to the fact Lucy had handcuffed his wrist to the 'oh shit' bar on the roof of the car. Lucy insisted it wasn't called that but he didn't believe her.

Claiming he couldn't be trusted not to climb out of the car when it was running, Lucy had taken such measures. A little drastic if anyone asked Natsu for his opinion. Lucy just ignored him.

So it was with utter joy when the car stopped and Lucy undid the child locks on the doors. He oozed out of the car as if made from liquid while his captor hurried to undo the metal bracelet around his wrist. It seemed he was attracting too much attention by the way he worshipped the ground, but no one could judge his love.

It was eternal.

"Do you need a cigarette?" Lucy's humor filled voice came from somewhere above his head.

"I don't know what that means," Natsu grumbled in response, recognizing she was telling a joke of some kind, but not picking up on the humor. Why would he want some nasty smoke stick? He didn't understand humans. He ate fire because it was delicious, but humans couldn't consume fire and smoke without dying.

"Just forget it" Lucy laughed. He felt her slight arms wrapping around his chest, propping him up and off his knees, "It was just a joke. We're here."

Natsu looked up at the tall building in front of him. It was white, with a metal sculpture twisted in intricate ribbons standing out in front. He was a little impressed as much as he hated to admit it. The sleepy south had changed a great deal since the last time he had paid it a visit. Well last time he had poked his head up; the humans had been busy killing one another over something silly. He hadn't bothered to stick around, but there were a lot of screaming idiots in blue and gray uniforms.

Pain lanced through his head and he averted his tired gaze from the gleaming sculpture. It was too bright outside, and Natsu was _just_ hung over enough for the light to bother him.

A bottle of water pressed into his line of sight, Natsu's eyes following the plastic to the hand holding it. Lucy had the water extended for him a smile on her face He accepted it with a crooked smile.

"Feel better?"

"A little, thanks," He croaked, managing to unscrew the cap and gulp down thirsty mouthfuls. He slid his wrist against his mouth after draining the bottle. It was strange but every time they went anywhere together Lucy always brought a bottle of water or two to help with his nausea. Over time he became accustomed to drinking water after a car ride and found that it helped a little.

A different kind of sorcery he wasn't used to, but Natsu was not inclined to argue with the results.

"Ugh, I can't believe we're going to a stuffy old museum," Natsu groaned, shambling forward, "And you're going back to work tomorrow, so I'm going to be really bored by myself again."

He watched a smile work its way along her face, a similar one reflecting on him.

"Oh don't complain, Levy's parents work for the museum. The drinking was yours and Gajeel's idea, so lets us have our nice, safe, and _educational_ fun for free," Lucy wagged her finger at his dramatic whining. He didn't know why she was being so mean to him. All this dusty stuff hurt his nose and reading plaques with old crap on it just made him want to take a nap.

"Besides, you're older than practically everything in here," Lucy grabbed his wrist, tugging him forward by the hand, "It'll be like a family reunion."

"So you think they have dragon bones in there somewhere?"

"You know what? Maybe."

"**_REALLY?_**"

And just like that he was excited. Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her behind her. He sprinted with her to the entrance of the museum where Gajeel and Levy were waiting. The former of which was leaning against the marble wall, a disinterested glare on his face. It looked as if the trip in the car had affected him just as much as it did Natsu.

That and he was as hung over as Natsu. He could tell by the way Gajeel squinted at the metal sculpture out in the front in either hunger or anger. Like he wanted to take a good bite out of it for the crime of existing. The girls chatted and headed inside while the two dragons glared at one another and elbowed each other to get through the front door first.

Looking around the museum, Natsu could tell this trip was going to be one none of them were going to forget. They walked through old historical sections and the prehistoric area. There Natsu almost got them kicked out for trying to climb up the tail of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. He got about halfway up the spine before Lucy sprinted far enough to the other side of the museum to yank him off its back using the bond itself.

So it went on like that for a while, the boys occasionally getting themselves into some mischief to be pulled back or reigned in by one of the girls. Until they arrived at the ancient artifacts exhibit where they would be meeting Levy's parents, the dragons alternated between moaning boredom and childish fascination over headdresses on display. All of which they wanted to wear.

"Uh, Salamander. Is that what I think it is?" Gajeel asked, jabbing a finger at a wrinkled hand in a glass case. Natsu drew in close from where he was standing, peering over Gajeel's shoulder just long enough to get a look at it…

…before backpedaling to the opposite side of the room.

"That's a Monkeys Paw," Levy explained with a helpful smile. Both dragons were staring at her as she talked, oblivious to the horrified looks they were exchanging, "They say that it will grant a wish for you for every finger, but legend claims that it will only do so at— "

"—Great cost," Gajeel and Natsu finished, both edging away from it.

"You know that thing is the real deal," Natsu hissed to Lucy, ensuring he stayed between her and the mummified hand, "That's a real Monkey's Paw. Let's get out of here before it hears a wish and resurrects a dead relative to kill us all."

"It can do that?" Lucy hissed back at him, peering at it in fascination over Natsu's shoulder.

"_Yes_"

Gajeel let out a loud swear as he whipped around, "There's a damn Hand of Glory right here too!"

Natsu's eyes went wide. The chance of one magical artifact being on display for the humans was insane enough but two was ridiculous. But everywhere he turned, there was something dark or magical locked behind a case. They stood there, looking as plain as they could be: Beholder's Eye, a Looking Glass, even an innocuous looking amulet that Natsu was certain could summon a genie.

"Somethin' doesn't smell right," Gajeel growled, eyes darting the expanse of the museum. He set a large hand on Levy's shoulder, who gave him a confused look.

"What're you talking about? I spent most of my childhood here, this stuff isn't dangerous…!" Levy protested, looking at the iron dragon. Hesitance crept into her eyes at the grim look on his face and she swallowed hard, "…is it?"

There was a moment of silence before a crowd of people passed through the exhibit. Children pressed their faces against the glass. People left fingerprints on the cases, and the entire time the demon and dragon watched with twin expressions of nausea while Lucy and Levy tried not to swallow their tongues.

No one dared to even breathe as the group of chattering humans walked out, oblivious to the landmines they navigated.

"Can we go yet?" Gajeel shot Levy an incredulous glare.

"Not yet," Levy swatted at Gajeel. Natsu and Lucy glanced at one another, then at the two. It was like watching a Ping-Pong match between them, "My mom put this exhibit together herself. I want to know why she has all this stuff!"

"Well we could always ask her," Lucy pointed towards the entrance of the exhibit. An older woman bearing a striking resemblance to Levy was walking towards them, a briefcase balanced in her hand and red rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose. She looked up at the four of them, the smile she had for her daughter dropping off her face at the sight of her company.

Natsu's arms crossed over his chest and he shared a telling glance with Gajeel. He knew they were thinking along the same lines. Whether either of the humans realized it or not, Levy's mom knew something. About them.

Nerves came off the woman in a wave. She had her face schooled so not to show any anxiousness, but she couldn't hide her scent.

'Be cautious' Gajeel's eyes communicated with Natsu.

Gentle. Right.

He could do gentle.

"Oy. Lady, why do you have an arsenal of black magic in your exhibit?" Natsu asked without beating around the bush, "Don't play around either. I'm a demon, but you already knew that didn't ya?"

Natsu didn't even turn around at the sound of Gajeel's hand coming into contact with his own face.

"Real subtle Salamander," He mumbled.

Now he knew it was supposed to be real quiet in museums, but Natsu was pretty sure everyone in the city stopped breathing. A grin worked over his face and he stared slyly at the woman staring at him like he grew a second head.

Levy's mother took a deep breath, her shrewd eyes flashing between her daughter and her companions. It was as if she was weighing the truth against a lie. Which one would hurt more? The truth or a lie. Natsu didn't like putting her in a position where she would have to chose to lie to her daughter, but that was the best way to get the truth. First blood belonged to Natsu. He dragged his hand across the bottom of his chin, watching the gears in her head working.

Her jaw stiffened and steel crossed her face.

She was going for the truth then.

"I know why you're here _demon_," She edged towards the wall, watching Natsu with keen eyes.

Oh.

Ignoring the fact she recognized what he was on sight, her attitude left much to be desired.

So it was going to be like **_that_** was it?

Natsu smirked back at the woman, his eyes sharpening on her movements. He felt Lucy's hand tugging at the back of his shirt. For a second he considered pulling free of her gasp so he could stalk the human trying to antagonize him. It wasn't hard; he had a strong, natural impulse to be a huge pain in the ass to everyone around him. Gentle hands on his back kept him from advancing towards Levy's mother and crowding into her personal space.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked her, sliding a hand into his back pocket. Posture relaxed and unthreatened, he grinned at her, "Pretty sure I'm just here to look at old stuff."

He lifted his wrist to show the ticket band the doorman wrapped around it, "See? I even have this paper strip of validation. It's legit."

"It's s a ticket stub," He heard Lucy mutter under her breath. His smile only grew wider.

Distracted as he was, Natsu wasn't sure when Levy's mom had gotten her hand on the fire alarm and yanked it. All he knew was the alarms were blaring out and water was raining down on their heads in a stinging mist. He stared at the expression of self-satisfaction on the woman's face for a few seconds before it slid off into a frown of disbelief.

"Holy water?" Natsu pouted, looking at his arm. It smoked a little, which told him she at least hooked the water sprinklers up to a separate water supply of holy water. The good stuff.

Too bad she was wasting it on him.

"You humans and your gullible tv watching exorcisms," Natsu looked offended and waved his hand in Lucy's face to prove a point, "You see? I told you this crap never works!"

"Huh, so you did," Lucy looked at his hand, leaning forward to inspect it with a critical eye.

"I don't understand," Levy's mother looked pale, "H-how…"

Gajeel scoffed a bit and wrung out his hair, glaring at the sprinklers. He muttered something about rusting, but dragged his hands to his side. A scowl darkened his face where Levy was hiding hers behind her hands in embarrassment.

"Get your facts right lady. You ain't dealin' with a normal demon. This is the demon king END, the one creepy-crawly your cheap parlor tricks won't work with," Gajeel sneered.

Natsu gave her a childish grin and happy wave to add insult to injury.

Just like that, Levy's mother seemed to relax. Like knowing who he was for once wasn't an immediate threat to the world and safety in general. Natsu stared at her in confusion as she threw up the fire safety latch.

"END is the only demon my family is permitted to speak with—," She murmured.

"_Stupid_," Natsu muttered.

"—About matters of Lumen Histoire," Levy's mother finished with a dark glower at him.

The attention of everyone in the room locked onto her. Levy stepped backwards, face pale. This time Lucy's slack grip on the back of Natsu's shirt was not strong enough to stop him. He advanced towards her, his eyes growing wide.

Silence dragged on between them. Natsu inspected the woman's face as he sought the answers he had searched for since he lost Igneel. The memories weighed on him, each of his sins a brick on his chest. He drew a hard breath through his lungs, his jaw working in a furious motion to voice the roaring passions trapped in his chest.

"Tell me," He managed. If his voice was hoarse, no one commented on it. In the back of his mind Natsu was aware Gajeel was staring at him as if someone had dropped an anvil on his head. Here was Natsu's proof of Lumen Histoire. Something to base his rabid belief around. But at the dimming expression on Levy's mother's face, his heart began to fall. Natsu swallowed hard around a knot in his throat.

"I'm sorry," She said, sounding genuine in her apology, "But the knowledge of Lumen Histoire has passed on to another."

"Passed on," Lucy asked, her voice just a whisper. Natsu, for all his sharp senses, could barely hear her, "Passed on how, to whom?"

A long, heavy sigh dragged from the woman. Her face lifted towards Natsu, meeting his gunmetal eyes with her own steady gaze. It was like she was searching for words, and for once in his life, Natsu found the patience to wait for her to form them.

"A long time ago, when Mavis created the Lumen Histoire, she entrusted the location of it to a friend of hers. A fairy from the gardens of their home," She glanced at her daughter, "We come from that line. The McGardens."

"I carried the knowledge of Lumen Histoire for a long time, passed on from my mother to me," She sighed. The look she gave Levy, whose face was beginning to dawn with horrified understanding, was truth enough, "Once a daughter is born to the family line, the knowledge goes with."

Natsu's eyes widened and he whirled around on Levy. The human lifted a shaky hand up to herself, her finger pointing to her chest. Even Gajeel took a step back to stare at her.

"You're telling me…" Levy murmured, her sentence trailing off before it could start.

Grim silence suffocated them; no one daring to breathe in the fear whatever magic had been conjured to reveal these new secrets would evaporate into the air. Levy's mom just nodded once and the small girl's knees gave out.

Gajeel's hand shot out in a flash, catching the girl's arm before she could crumple to the floor. The iron dragon gave them a severe look but breathed out through his nose.

"Levy's the only one who knows where Lumen Histoire is."

* * *

_**Thank you to everyone who RR. I had a Guest ask if this will end in a tragedy or not. Are you the type of person that flips to the last page of a book to read the ending? If you are that's fine, but I won't tell you if this story ends with a happy or sad ending. There will be high moments and sad moments, but I invite you to take this journey with me anyway! (It's more fun when we're together)**_

_** There has been a lot of concern since I posted the previous chapter when people mention how worried they are over Ultear's premonition. All I can say is we pick our own future. **_

_**Drop me a line!**_


	9. Titania

An explosion rocked the foundation of the earth. Magic split the air, leaving a sizzle of power behind in its wake. The smell of ionized air rose from all around them, the scent of lightening after a strike.

"Shore up those defenses!" A dark haired man roared, a single human among the dragons and fae fighting for their lives. An intricate tattoo branded across his forearm, a symbol of the demon slaying magic he commanded, "_We can't let them gain any more ground_!"

Two women, one with curly brown hair, and the other with blue approached him. Both looked worried, but the former looked angrier than the other.

"That's easier said than done Gray, Juvia is almost tapped out from keeping them out of the rivers, but not even she can hold them off for long," She snapped. Silvery wings flowed from her back, gossamer like a fine web. It was hard to believe such delicate looking wings were powerful enough to lift her body. "We need a new plan!"

Gray swore, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. His eyes flashed towards the two exhausted women, tension uncoiling from his chest despite the jarring impacts of battle smashing into the earth around them. Cana, the brown haired fairy that spoke out with such boldness, was right. This wasn't how they were going to win the war. They were going to win it if they were all banded together.

Which was unfortunate since their guild was missing not only Natsu, but also Gajeel now. Pantherlily was doing his best to fill in the gape left by Gajeel, but Natsu was a different story. No matter what they did, they were left scrambling at every turn. Until Natsu's disappearance, the battle with the demons left them at an even keel. For months, they tried to hide Natsu's lack of presence on the battlefield, but they all knew it wouldn't last for long.

Natsu was a force of nature. He was right in the middle of every fight, screaming at the top of his lungs like an annoying little kid. It made it to hide the fact he wasn't there picking a fight with everyone that got in his way. They could really use his screaming pyro-ass right about now.

Dark eyes turned towards the two women, waiting for him to give orders. Cana was right _again_. Although he refused to give her the satisfaction of admitting that to her face. Juvia looked exhausted, but he also knew the water nymph wouldn't breathe a word about her exhaustion to him. He was growing worried for her. At this rate, Juvia's waters would become too polluted for her to live in properly.

She was a Naiad and the war was ravaging her home. Was it the lighting, or did she look paler than was typical?

"Cana, give me a moment with Juvia," He said, not taking his eyes off the blue haired woman.

"Bossy bossy," Cana drawled. Her hand dove to her hip where a flask rested. He watched as she wandered off with swaying hips and a backwards wave, "Take good care of her Captain Underpants."

Gray became aware of a slight breeze around his legs.

Oh, well crap.

He double checked himself and found he lost his shirt and pants somewhere along the line. At least his underwear had stayed on. Which was a good thing considering Juvia would have passed out by now. Already she had his pants and shirt folded in neat rows in her arms. He took them with an embarrassed grunt of thanks and stepped back into his pants. The shirt would just be discarded as soon as he put it on. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered.

"You wanted to speak with Juvia?" She asked, her fingers curling around her wrist. The smile she gave him could rival a rainbow after a stormy day and he almost staggered a step back out of her reach. He stopped himself and instead set his hands on her shoulders.

He hesitated, his chest tightening as he stared at her. The feelings he never had a chance to say for this woman bounced around in his head like a restless tiger. But the way she looked at him, with absolute confidence in his decisions made him feel a little ill.

Love was a tricky animal. Even trickier when it was an emotion found on the battlefield.

There was no _falling_ in love for Gray.

Instead it was like a warm summer river, flowing against a glacier. It melted the ice in his heart he built ever since he lost his parents. Since he almost lost his siblings to demons and war and famine…

Even now Ultear was babysitting Natsu in the Great Divide, while Lyon was scouting for something anything to defeat Mard Geer and his legion.

And then there was Juvia. The water nymph that stayed by his side for every moment of it all.

Gray didn't know what she was expecting from him. What sort of hopeful answers did she believe he could conjure in their decaying situation? Gramps had taken a hard hit in the last strike, which crushed the morale of the Fae. Not to mention the dragons were without their king, and Natsu wasn't around to lead a harebrained scheme.

Erza was the fearless leader, their clinical tactician. But the news she told Gray just earlier did not leave him with many ways of keeping his battalion alive. Before their team had been like a steel curtain. Natsu took care of the center, his forces plowing through the middle in a frontal assault. It scattered the enemy and sent them to the sides where Gajeel, Gray and Erza's teams would hem in the enemy.

Who knew the living equivalence of a wrecking ball could be so missed?

"I know you're tired Juvia," Gray squeezed her shoulders, watching as the Naiad's dark eyes sharpened on him, "But you're the only one…"

He didn't know what he wanted to say. Gray's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, the words dying in his throat. What was really important to him? Orders, or her safety?

Hard shards of rock crackled against his shin, collecting in the cuffs of his pants. The battle roared closer to their location. Indecision crippled Gray for a few terrifying seconds, his heart hammering in his ribcage.

Gray wanted to try again, the grip he had on Juvia's shoulders firm and a little bruising with the urgency of what was happening around them. If it was painful for her, she endured it with silence and wide eyes.

"…If something happens when we fight today," Gray said, remembering not for the first time how very _human_ he was in comparison to these mythical fae, dragons and demons. His heart ached in a way he wasn't used to, warmth unlike the ice he commanded melting its way through his chest and running watered down blood through his veins.

" –I want you to take this message to Meredy," Gray closed his eyes, pulling out a scroll from his pants pocket. He jotted down a quick message on the parchment and pressed it into Juvia's palm.

_Coward_.

He couldn't even look into those deep, fathomless eyes. What would he see reflecting there if he turned to her? Gray didn't want to know, instead shielding his heart again from the possibility of losing another person he cared about.

Another person he loved.

'_Coward,'_ his thoughts screamed at him, _'This could be the last time you see her! This could be the last time _either_ of you are alive!'_

But he held his tongue, his dark eyes lifting to meet Juvia's. One last time before he returned to the battlefield, and she returned to the rivers.

She reached out, brushing her fingers across his cheek. Unspoken went her feelings for him so he allowed the contact. Perhaps he even drew just as much comfort and strength from her as she did him? The thought soothed the ache in his chest. It was in that moment when their eyes met, Gray hoped no words would be needed between them.

"Be safe dear Gray," Juvia withdrew her hand and stepped away.

Spell broken, and reality crashing down around them, Gray shook his head. He grunted in acknowledgement, his eyes dark on her.

"You too."

She smiled at him. A tiny thing, barely noticeable on her face but it bought him the courage to turn away from her and walk out to fight anew.

He had to meet with the Titania. Today they would be fighting side by side.

His lips thinned and he turned his gaze towards the darkening sky.

"…Come on Lava lips. Where are you?"

-::-

Lucy stared in amusement at the sight of Natsu sprawled out on his back, a trickle of drool escaping the corner of his mouth. The bottle of nail polish she held in her hand was a bright shade of pink she was unashamed to admit was inspired by a certain roommate of hers. Just like normal, he was laying on the couch, his shirt having ridden up thanks to the way he flailed in his sleep. Lucy was well acquainted with his unique style of kung-fu sleeping.

'_He's as bold and aggressive in bed as he is everywhere else,' _Lucy thought to herself. As if doing a mental replay in her head, her face flushed a dark cherry red and she hid her face in her hands. She was just grateful Natsu was dead asleep so he wouldn't pester her about why her face looked like a tomato.

She couldn't believe how fast her thoughts plummeted into the gutter. That had to be some kind of record.

Had to.

Lucy's eyes fell on the strip of dark, tanned skin exposed from Natsu's shirt. Hard muscles were lax from slumber, leaving a tantalizing peak that made her mouth run dry. Slow breaths coming from him caused his chest to expand and contract, her eyes following the cuts and lines in his body as they moved. His hand slid under his shirt, fingers scratching at stomach. The demon mumbled under his breath.

It was a confusing mix of adorable and _way-too-damn-attractive_ for Lucy's poor brain to function right. Spotting the throw blanket on the loveseat, she snagged it and tossed it over Natsu, ignoring the fact most of it landed on his face. What was most important was how Natsu's distracting parts were all covered up.

The blanket snored for a moment before the blankets were kicked off by the cranky demon.

Lucy watched with fascination as he flopped over completely, forgetting he was on the couch of all places and rolling off it. The scream which next came from Natsu would be one she would forever cherish the moment he smacked face first into the floor.

He spluttered and sat up on his knees, whipping his head around until he caught sight of Lucy dropping down on the couch, her eyes gleaming in amusement.

"Hey don't give me that look," Lucy chided the demon that looked close to setting the entire apartment on fire again, "I just put a blanket on you. You rolled off the couch all by yourself."

She tapped a finger against her chin, "I give your landing a six out of ten."

"It was at _least_ an 8," Natsu yawned, tired and grumpy. He lifted himself up and plopped back down on his back on the worn couch.

Lucy gave him an apologetic smile, ignoring how the demon was glaring at the ceiling fan with enough stopping power to fry all the electronics within it. The root of Natsu's bad mood was evidence enough. Levy.

Ever since they found out Levy was the one who knew where Lumen Histoire was, Natsu, Gajeel and Levy had been trying with every ounce of determination to decipher a clue into her memories. She on the other hand, hadn't done much to help in that endeavor. Lucy wasn't the most helpful friend she could have been, mostly because it was clear she did not want to lose her new friends.

It was selfish.

The two were eager to return home to their world. To help fight back in a war that was tearing everything they loved apart. Natsu already had spent too much time with her. Was it time to let him go already?

No, not yet.

She sighed and tucked her legs under her body, her thumb running against the worn fabric of the couch. An idle thought of replacing it crossed her mind before she dismissed it. The piece of furniture was almost threadbare now from pillow fights, her and Natsu wrestling on it late at night, scorched from fires, and slashed from the occasional demon invasion. But as scarred and ugly as it looked, it was her favorite.

Easing down in the comfort of the broken in cushions, Lucy swung her feet up onto Natsu's lap. His warm hand came down around her ankles at once, not sparing her a glance as he arranged them in a comfortable position. Lucy hid a smile at the way he had fallen into a routine with her when his head was turned towards the clock to check the time.

The first time she pulled her feet on his lap when they were watching TV he had made a face at them and told her they stunk. Which they _didn't_. That had sparked the first of many wrestling matches on the couch. Control over the remote sparked the second and subsequent many other battles they had.

"No luck with Levy?" Lucy asked him. She dragged herself towards him, bending her knees to scoot her butt along the cushions. His right arm came around to steady her back, a band of firm strength and heat pulling her into the right position.

"Nope," Natsu pouted, his sharp eyes watching her shake the pink bottle between neatly painted fingers. Really, he was such a cat sometimes she observed, the strange focus he watched her paint her nails was amusing at times, "She kicked me out because I kept throwing paper balls at her to try to get her to remember."

"Ah, so you were trying for the _annoying_ tactic," Lucy smirked at him, inviting him to stick his tongue out at her, "Clever."

She watched his mouth open, his dark eyes burning against her face. It was like he wanted to say something to her, but he turned his gaze away to stare back at the clock. As usual, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Lucy rolled her eyes and dug her heels in his muscular thighs to drag herself closer to her feet. She uncapped her polish as she shuffled, noticing she had caught his attention again. His left hand tightened around her ankles and his hand smoothed across her spine to push her forward, leaving a path of fire in its wake. It was almost unfair how he could cause a sharp jump in the pit of her stomach with as simple a caress as that.

"Let me try."

She looked up at where his tanned hand curled above the ball of her foot, gripping loose just under her toes. Confusion must have been clear on her face, because a moment later Natsu grinned at her and swiped the brush and bottle from her hands. It was a little strange for her to see him holding them like they were delicate, but Lucy was too busy catching herself since she could no longer lean against his arm for support.

He scoffed at her flailing but dropped his forearm on her ankles to keep them still. Then, with careful strokes, the demon began the paint her nails Posey pink. Her jaw hung open in shock, but she held her feet still since she didn't want to mess Natsu up. His eyes were focused on the task but a silly little smile lit up his face as he painted them.

Where his sudden stroke of artistic interest came from, Lucy didn't know. But a smile drew over her face as she watched his uncoordinated fingers attempt the task she had long since perfected.

It was so messy by the end of his job; Lucy wanted to cringe at how he had painted the skin around the nail in sloppy strokes. Still, the proud smile on Natsu's face stopped her from complaining about the paint on her skin. Well for now. She would be giving him an earful when he looked less like a giddy schoolboy about it.

"What was this for?" She asked, wiggling her wet toes in his lap. Asking seemed to be the most logical step. Often when she wanted to know something about Natsu, he never revealed a single shred of information unless you asked first. Sometimes he even ignored the question. So she wasn't going to wait for him to explain himself. Demons never felt like explaining themselves.

Dragons either.

His arms lifted over his head and he rolled his hips, bumping the heels of Lucy's feet in the air as he adjusted himself. His hand caught her feet before she could nail him in the groin on accident and settled them back down on his lap. Dark eyes were shielded from Lucy's view by a curtain of pink bangs. They had flopped over in his sleep, causing him to peer out from under the fringe covering his face.

A smile flickered over his face, but Lucy wasn't distracted by the force of it like usual. She could see a muscle tighten in his jaw. His throat flexed underneath his scarf. Both were subtle hints that Lucy would have missed earlier in their friendship. Not now though.

Now she wasn't distracted by the blinding, handsome smile.

She studied him when he wasn't looking, trying her hardest to gauge his emotions and reactions by using his body language alone.

Research that yielded one result that never changed.

Natsu always smiled brighter when he was sad.

She pinched his side, causing him to squeal in pain and give her an injured look, with all the exaggeration of having a mortal wound. It was like she kicked his puppy.

"When I was very little, my mom died," She announced.

Natsu went very still, eyes flicking onto her and his arm coming to wrap around her calves. His gaze focused on her, all signs of humor falling off his face. Typical intensity and heat burned from Natsu when he dragged all his attention onto her and the words she was saying. For that Lucy was grateful, she would have hated to repeat herself.

It was like he understood the importance of what she was doing. His body was rigid like stone, but the feeling of his hand around her legs was gentle. His fingers, rough and calloused brushed a warm path across her shins.

"I didn't understand why she died at the time. She was always filled with so much light, I never thought she would go," Lucy continued, folding up to his eyelevel. Attentively he leaned forward to catch her around the shoulder with his free arm, "When she was gone, it was like the joy she brought our family was extinguished. All that light disappeared in an instant."

Natsu's brow creased, his mouth opening but closing a second later as he thought better of interrupting her story.

"My dad was never the same after she was gone," Lucy twisted her legs down to free them from Natsu's hold. She tucked them instead under her body, being careful of her wet toes. Instead she slid her hand into his, surprising him with the sudden movement.

She looked down at the back of his hand. Tanned skin was marred with light scars crossing his knuckles in thin webs, signs of battles long since fought and won. His palm was abnormal in its warmth, resting against hers with awkward hesitance. A small tug had her threading her fingers with his.

Natsu looked like his brain was about to shut down.

Having mercy on him she flashed him a bright smile, "Eventually I left that house when my father's expectations drove our relationship into the ground. I moved out on my own and about a year later I met you."

An expression close to shock crossed Natsu's face, his attention focused back on her. She felt his hand tighten around hers by a fraction. Heat burned at her palm but the skin didn't sear. That was how she gauged his reaction because Natsu arranged his face into a neutral expression as he listened.

"I'm not telling you this to open up to me about anything Natsu," Lucy brushed her thumb against his knuckles, drawing his attention to that spot, "I already know what's bothering you. I know what you're trying to hide."

His eyes went wide and his grip tightened in her hand. Panic filtered through his eyes for a moment, his fangs coming down on his lips in his haste to close his mouth.

"What— "

"You're worried about the war back home, and I've been selfish this whole time by wanting you to stay," Lucy looked down at the cushions, "You and Gajeel are both the kings of your races. You can leave whenever you want, but you're still bound to me. That's keeping you here with me."

"Maybe I don't want to break the bond deep down," Lucy admitted to him, unable to look at him, "Because the moment I do, you can leave back home. I would really miss you."

She would do more than miss him.

Her feelings for the demon had settled somewhere between 'love' and 'oh my god _**NO**_. '

_A great love to give way to greater tragedy._

She felt the hand she was holding tighten around hers and his freehand rest on top of her head. Warm breath fanned across her cheeks, a soft weight pressing against her forehead.

Looking up, she saw his face inches from hers, a smile on his face and his eyes closed.

"Don't be such a weirdo Lucy," Natsu said without opening his eyes. His voice was low and thick with promises her heart couldn't help but believe, "Like I'd just up and forget you forever, where's the faith?"

"You're just as much a member of Fairy Tail as I am," He cracked dark eyes open, "No matter where we go, I'll always be looking your way."

She met his gaze with a smile of her own and nodded.

It was in that moment she came up with a decision to help him go home. No matter what her feelings for Natsu were, she had to do everything in her power to help him get home.

"I think it's time we see Ultear again."

-::-

The journey back to Ultear's was as eventful as it was the first time they went. This time they were going to meet Levy and Gajeel though. They took separate cars because Lucy discovered the iron dragon shared Natsu's weakness of vehicles.

One dragon trying to crawl out of the car while it was moving was bad enough by itself, but two?

Yeah she would refund Levy the gas money if it meant getting to avoid that potential headache.

Out of the car again, she pressed a bottle of water into a grateful Natsu's hand. She smiled as she saw him reaching for it before she even got to his side. As usual, she helped hoist the demon back to his feet. He downed the bottle of water in one go, crunching it in his hand, a breath sighing from the back of his throat.

Together they climbed up Ultear's rickety steps. Natsu shoved his way inside, this time not even bothering to knock on the door much to her displeasure.

"Natsu wait! Last time we were here she said she'd turn you into a Salamander!" Lucy protested.

A soft voice, velvety and male laughed from the living room.

"That would hardly be the first time our witch friend has threatened such a fate on poor Natsu."

Curious, Lucy rounded a corner to where a man was seated with his back partially turned towards them. He was inspecting Ultear's collection of herbs, snapping off shoots of leaves and dropping them into a dark pouch.

The man was calm, serious eyes staring straight ahead from under a blue fringe of fly-away hair. What was curious though was not the color of his hair, nor the comfortable way he held himself in the store. It was the gossamer wings folded on his back, barely visible under the cloak that had been pushed across his arm when he was reaching for plants.

Her hand flew up to her mouth as she noticed the wings looked as if they had once been beautiful.

But now…

The wings lay useless at his sides. Soft membrane from the wings clung to delicate bones like translucent ribbons.

Lucy's eyes were drawn to the shredded wings on his back, and the moment he noticed she was staring, the man shifted his cloak to hide them from sight. The shame in his eyes was noticeable enough Lucy felt guilty for gawking. Was he a fairy?

But his wings… They looked so painful.

"Jellal," Natsu's voice came from next to her, pulling her attention back, "What're you doing here?"

The fairy, Jellal, looked at Natsu and nodded in greeting. A small smile flickered over his face. Whatever his connection was to Natsu, the morose looking man seemed pleased to see him.

"Natsu, it's good to see you again – and in excellent health. Erza will be pleased to hear of this," He answered. His head turned enough for Lucy to see the red tattoo on his face, intricate and woven under a single brown eye, "I'm here to make a report to Ultear. She's opening a sensory link with Meredy, it's much safer than the other method of communicating. No risk of possession."

His eyes were shadowed with memories. It was as if the word possession brought up painful reminders of something from long ago in his past. Lucy decided not to question it.

"Yeah, only the risk of injury and death," Natsu scowled back, but said nothing else on the subject. He kicked his legs up on the table. His glare was focused on something in the corner of the store and Lucy followed her friend's poisonous glare.

…a house plant?

What did Natsu have against a house plant?

… No it was probably better if Lucy didn't try to answer that question.

Jellal's amusement filled the air with a quiet palpability. His brown eyes were warm and kind, even as he gently brushed the demon's feet off the table, "I'll fetch you once Ultear is finished with the spell. Please wait here."

He sighed, looking around himself. Lucy knew the look in his eyes well enough. He was judging whether or not to leave Natsu alone with the many flammable objects no doubt found in Ultears shop.

Natsu's smile widened.

"Please try not to break anything," Jellal seemed to beg. His fingers tied off the bag and tucked it into his belt.

With those words he left them to themselves. He waited long enough to give Natsu a firm look over his shoulder before disappearing behind a beaded curtain.

Natsu wasted no time springing to his feet and pacing to the potted plant. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing on the inanimate object, "Alright Mr. Botany. You ready for round two?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and tugged him away from the plant by the back of his shirt.

She sat him down, dropping next to him with a grin to match his pout.

"Just be patient and refrain from picking fights with harmless plants," Lucy chided.

"That thing is far from harmless— "

"—Ultear is bound to have a way to spark Levy's memory," Lucy continued, cutting him off mid-rant, "So you don't need to occupy yourself with a distraction and almost burn her house to the ground in the process. You're going to get too excited at this rate."

Satisfied at the sight of his jaw snapping shut in shock and his arms crossing his chest in silent irritation, Lucy reclined back in her seat.

"And maybe she can help me control my power so I can break our bond," Lucy sighed. Her eyes lifted towards Natsu, who was still pouting over not being allowed to pick a fight with 'Mr. Botany' or whatever it was called.

"Just promise you will come visit me sometime after you win your war."

His eyes drew to her face and he hooked his hands under his chair, carrying it with him towards Lucy until he was in front of her. Was he blushing? His hands tightened around the arm rests. His adams apple bobbed with nerves, and for a second Lucy thought he was actually anxious about something.

"Lucy, I could – if you wanted it I mean – " His eyes dropped down to the floor and lifted back towards hers. It was like he was wrestling with something in the pit of his stomach until something hardened in his eyes. Not confidence, although there was some of that, but determination.

"I won't leave you for long if you _want me to come back_," Natsu stressed and lifted a hand to grasp her shoulder. His forehead came into contact with hers, a soft caress nuzzled across her skin. It was an affectionate contact he seemed comfortable with. Embracing and hand holding was never initiated by him, but at the same token he never rejected those either.

Their eyes met across the short distance. Lucy attempted to decipher the meaning behind his words but found it difficult when she was staring directly into his fire

What was he saying?

That he'd come back for her?

"_Natsu_," She lifted her hands to cradle either side of his cheeks, her thumbs brushing the curve under his eyelid. Her fingers slid through pink strands, bravery steeling her reserves and encouraging her to speak, "Of course I want you to come back, don't you know?"

She swallowed around her own tongue when she felt Natsu's hand trail into her hair to cup the back of her head.

"_Natsu I lov_—…"

Whatever brave speech she was planning on making was cut short by the sound of a mournful cry coming from the back room.

Natsu's eyes went wide, his head lifting to the air.

"I smell blood."

The two jerked away from one another and sprang to their feet. All thoughts of confessing to Natsu escaped from Lucy's mind in the face of someone in trouble. Something wrong happened in the backroom with Jellal and Ultear, whatever she had to get off her chest to Natsu could wait.

Sprinting to the back, Natsu made it just before Lucy. She threw back the beads and skidded down next to where Jell was helping Ultear to her feet. His expression was grim despite the sure grip he held on his companion. Tears flowed down from her fact in an endless stream, her chest heaving with grief stricken sobs.

"I-It's not me," Ultear cried in explanation, wiping with furious swipes at her eyes, "It's Meredy, she connected our senses and emotions to create a channel, but it's gone now."

Natsu looked at her, Lucy reading the confusion on his face and knelt in front of Ultear where she was cradling her arm to her chest. He peered at her closely while jellal steadied her.

"She must have told you all she could have if she knocked out the connection that fast," Natsu said with an optimistic smile.

One that slid off his face the moment he looked at Jellal's face.

Ultear held out her arm for his inspection, and Lucy swore she saw every ounce of blood drain from Natsu's face. The witch's arm was bloody, the source of what Natsu caught before. However, while that was enough to make Lucy queasy, what she saw next was worse than anything she could have imagined. A message in another language, cut deep into Ultear's skin.

"Cutting a message into her arm. It's the best way to send a message through her magic. She can only mimic emotions and physical wounds," Ultear explained to Lucy, the human drawing next to Natsu.

He was trembling.

Lucy couldn't make out what was written there, but Natsu seemed to understand with perfect clarity.

"What does it say?" She asked him, tugging at his wrist.

But Natsu didn't reply at first, but in a few slow movements, his head turned towards hers. Pain reflected in his eyes, and Lucy understood something bad must have happened over there.

"The words it says show the fate of the war," Natsu murmured. He took a deep breath, his eyes closing against the letters, dark red against Ultear's pale skin.

"So what does it say?" Lucy demanded again, her hand closing around his.

This time it was Jellal who answered, his eyes dark and grim. It was as if what little light was left in him drained out at the news Ultear brought.

"_Titania has Fallen."_

-::-

Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. I appreciate the comments, they really helped motivate me.


	10. Hot 'n Cold

Titania has fallen.

Natsu didn't want to believe it. It was too hard to believe. Erza, the great and terrifying Erza had fallen in battle? Impossible. He couldn't believe it. The idea was so far from possible, he was having trouble understanding the bloody words scratched in Ultear's arm.

Jellal pushed Natsu back a few steps and he moved without complaint, boneless. It was a lie. _It was a lie._

Only Lucy's hand, tight around his own kept him from floating away in denial.

A rush of anger roared through him along with the tight denial that fueled his rage. They couldn't believe Erza would just lay down her swords, could they? Impossible. She wasn't gone. That terrifying woman still had to fight him and have her ass kicked by him before she was allowed to just die.

Before he could snap into gear and roar his firm disbelief that Erza was gone, a crack of magic tore the air in front of them.

A gate was opening.

Instincts throwing into gear, Natsu threw his arm out in front of Lucy and pushed her behind him. A rip, the size of a fist punched through the air and tore outwards. Ultear and Jellal tensed in anticipation, both stepping forward in preparation to attack whoever dared to interlope.

"It's just me! Don't shoot! _Don't shoot_!" A familiar voice shouted the moment it opened wide enough. A tattooed wrist burst from the other side, a bloodied, pale hand gripping the fabric of space itself like it was bunch drapery. Tension drained from Natsu in a second and he sprinted forward, grabbing his hands around the tattooed arm and yanking towards the room.

There was an unusual amount of resistance; the gate was clinging to its traveller like a parasite, trying to prevent Natsu from dragging him through. But he forced the issue like he did most things. Lucy's hands pulled on the back of his shirt, lending him a little of her strength as he pulled hard.

Together, they dragged the traveller through the portal.

Both Gray, and a bloodied red headed woman fell together in a crumpled mess. On the other side of the portal that hung open like a doorway, he could see glimpses of the homeworld he had left behind.

The sky was black, choked with smoke from fires spreading all through his beloved down. They burned through rubble and charred streets, catching everything in its path alight. What had once been the beautiful cobblestones of Magnolia were scorched. The ruins of Kardia Cathedral stared back at Natsu, just a skeleton of its former self.

The shimmer of its stained glass windows laid like scattered gems at the base. The crown jewel of the fae realm was just a husk.

Was this because of him?

He turned towards where Gray was hoisting the red head up, his eyes growing wide in shock. Erza. But not looking like she did the last time he saw her. Now her armor was laying around her in scuffed pieces, dents and cracks caved in around her chest. The armor split and broke in pieces around her waist, lending him to see the wounds she sustained.

Suddenly Meredy's message made more sense.

Jellal dropped to his knees on the other side, his arms scooping underneath the unconscious woman. She was lifted through the air and rushed to the adjoining room to a table Ultear was busy clearing off.

The worn fairy set her down and got to work unbuckling her armor with shaky hands. It was no secret to anyone in this realm or the next the feelings he had for Erza, so Natsu didn't bother to help him. He just heated the ice Ultear gave him in a metal container wordlessly, melting the ice down to water and boiling it with a touch of his hands.

His eyes flicked towards Lucy, her hands lifting Gray up by his shoulders. He was staring at her with dark eyes over his shoulder, clearly wondering who the hell she was. He picked himself up off the floor but gave her a wary nod of thanks. The demon slayer was just as bloody as Erza, although he didn't seem to have any wounds that needed serious first aid. There was a bloody gash at his side, but it looked as if it was sealed away with a chunk of ice he grafted to his skin.

Lucy looked pale and shaky, but that was expected. She had never seen so much blood before.

"Natsu! I need your hand!" Jellal commanded, snapping his attention back to the emergency situation happening just behind him. Natsu stood across from Jellal, pressing his palm flat against the gaping wound torn into Erza's stomach. It was strange to see her like this, body broken and armor shattered.

It wasn't right.

Blood oozed through the cracks of his fingers, bile settling in the back of his throat. If she was still bleeding, she was still alive. Erza wouldn't let this kill her. Nothing could kill Erza, scary woman that she was. So many battles were fought side by side, Natsu was certain a little hole in her chest wasn't going to kill her.

He hated this though.

Seeing her weakened and bloody. It was—it wasn't Erza.

One did not simply forget basic first aid. Natsu might have been a little on the rusty side with his time off the field, but when it required bandaging a hole the size of a fist in an ally's stomach the skill returned. Like riding a demented, twisted bike.

Only this bike didn't have a little basket and bell.

Together they worked on patching her up, working as a seamless team to stitch her back together and clean her wound. They didn't have time for Erza to heal properly and take her time. Especially as they all knew the moment she regained consciousness she would be attempting to take the battlefield again.

She wasn't out of the woods yet, but as time passed it became clear she would survive.

Dying wasn't the Fairy Tail way after all.

A knife was pressed into Natsu's hand, Jellal's eyes a silent instruction. An unnecessary one, as he already knew what he had to do. He gripped the metal, slowly rising the temperature of the metal, stopping just from overheating it. To sear flesh, but keep the metal from becoming molten.

"Lucy, go to the other room," Natsu growled, keeping the temperature on the blade even. She had already done more than enough, scurrying back and forth to give them clean towels and bandages. The last thing she needed to see or smell, was him cauterizing Erza's wound. He heard the distant clank of a car door slamming as Lucy scurried from the room without complaint.

Guess Gajeel was here. The moment he recovered from his motion sickness, he was going to freak out.

Gray's pale hands held down Erza's shoulders as Jellal's hands came down across her hips and wrists. Ultear's hands closed around the fairy's ankles, and Natsu was grateful they were all helping. Even injured and unconscious, he knew better than to think Erza was down for the count. Pressing a super-heated blade to her injury could send her either into a homicidal rage. Regardless if she was homicidal or not, Erza was going to come out swinging.

"Ready?" Natsu grit his teeth. The others nodded.

"Here we go."

-::-

Lucy heard the screaming coming from the other roo and was glad she was no longer in there. She looked up just in time to see Natsu go sailing across the room and land into something that sounded like glass.

"_Shit Erza!"_

"_Calm down!"_

"_Hold her!"_

She was very glad she was no longer in that room. Lucy watched with fascination as Natsu got back to his feet, shooting past the door opening only to be flung backwards again.

Yeah he had that covered.

Turning back to the main room Erza and Gray had fallen in, Lucy set about cleaning up the area around the portal. She glanced up at it, her eyes wide on the rip in the fabric of space. It remained suspended in air like a open wound. Not knowing any better, she ventured closer to it, a natural curiosity to see what was on the other side propelling her forward. It only made sense for her to be fascinated with what was on the other side. So as she was observing it and the odd world on the otherside, she couldn't help but realize.

The rip was getting larger.

Wasn't it supposed to close after someone ran through it?

"Well well," a loud voice laughed, from behind her. Lucy jumped, recognizing that odd laughter and gruff voice, "Blondie is nosy."

Never would it be said she was so relieved to see Gajeel and Levy. Even if the former was looking a little green under his skin. The car ride must have taken its toll on Gajeel, even if he tried to play off how much pain he was in. Lucy wasn't fooled, the wobble to the dragon's stride was evidence enough.

Gajeel stopped in his tracks, his nose catching some scents in the air before telling Levy to stay with Lucy and disappearing into the back room.

"Gajeel?" Levy asked, her eyes going wide with curiosity and concern. She made to follow him, but Lucy caught her arm and tugged her back.

"Trust me, you don't want to go in there," Lucy gave her friend an apologetic look. Sensing there was something bigger going on, Levy conceded with a smile and crept towards the portal where Lucy was standing.

Together they inspected the jagged hole in space, both girls and their inquisitive nature causing them to lean in closer than what was strictly safe. They set their hands on their hips and Levy moved her hand behind the portal, waving it around. There was nothing on the other side for her to feel or even see. Which was unusual, because it looked like space had wrinkled around the portal itself.

"Freaky," Levy frowned.

"This is some time-and-relative-dimensions-in-space kinda stuff."

"Dr. WHO – _Really_ Lu?"

"Natsu binge watched it the other day and dragged me in to see it with him," Lucy confessed, "But don't you lie to me – I saw the TARDIS desk lamp in your room."

Levy grumbled and poked at the wrinkles surrounding the portal. It was obvious that line of thought was being dropped in favor of a more in-depth look towards the gate. She walked behind it, disappearing from view.

Whatever happened to cause the portal it was clear it wasn't closing. The world on the other side had a haunting quality despite its obvious beauty. War destroyed the clear blue skies and shattered what was once a glorious down. It was like looking into a fairy tale. One that was set on fire and left to burn.

Unable to resist, Lucy dipped her hand through the strange filmy barrier. She just wanted to know what it felt like on the other side. This was more than likely her only chance to experience another world, even if it was just a grazing touch. She wasn't worried. Natsu had told her before humans were free to travel between the realms even if it was not recommended.

It was warm. The air felt gritty against her fingers, like sand sliding through the air. She wondered if was caused by the destroyed buildings littering the streets. To say nothing about the strange tingling that ran up to her elbow – it was a weird feeling.

"Lucy!" Levy hissed from around the other side of the gate. She turned her eyes away from her friend for a _second_ and found her elbow deep in a hellmouth. Really, what was she going to do with her, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I was just really curious," Lucy apologized. She gulped and gave Levy a sheepish grin. It was true. But furthermore she had wanted to feel even a fraction of the world Natsu called home. It was a stupid desire, but desire all the same. Not that she was going to say that to her bookish friend. Levy was smart enough that even a single clue could unravel Lucy's motivations and send Levy spiraling into fangirl delight.

"Alright then, but hurry and get your arm out before anyone comes back and catches your insanity in progress— "

A nervous laugh.

"—what," Levy deadpanned, noticing how pale Lucy's face had gone.

Lucy cleared her throat, tugging experimentally against the gate. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore how Levy's eyes zeroed in on the motion. And how Lucy hadn't so much as twitched away from her position.

"Lu, are you stuck by any chance?" Levy asked shocked. Her hand wrapped around Lucy's wrist and together they tried to pry her free. It was to no avail, Lucy was beyond stuck, trapped right where she stuck her hand through the portal.

Lucy nodded, embarrassment coloring her face, "I think I'm going to need some help from one of the guys."

"That much is clear," Levy whipped out her phone, snapping a few impulsive photos with the camera. Ignoring her friend's outraged shrieks, Levy stepped out of Lucy's grabbing reach to save the photos. Was now really the time to try and preserve the memory of Lucy's foolish ideas?

"Levy! Why!" Lucy hissed, her face blushing red to the roots of her hair. She braced her heels on the table next to her and tried to shove her wait backwards enough to wrench herself free. No use. Whatever this gate was, it had locked tight around Lucy's elbow. What was worse was her right hand was beginning to feel very odd.

She was afraid it was going to fall off.

It wasn't too strange for Lucy to show her concern at this point. Especially since her arm was in another dimension. It was only natural for her to freak out a little.

"Natsu is busy, so maybe get Gajeel?" Lucy suggested, nerves beginning to tighten her throat. Guild warred over her face for a minute. She remembered Erza, bleeding out in the room next door and barely alive. For a moment she had forgotten they were trying to save the Titania's life. How selfish of her.

Although she had no way of knowing she would get stuck. There was no way of predicting this particular mess.

Oh if Natsu saw this, he would never let her live it down.

And wouldn't her luck have it, that at that exact moment the demon king himself walked into the room. A towel hung loose from his fingers where he was trying to scrub blood free from his palms. No doubt he heard Lucy's shrieks at Levy and came to investigate. She was relieved to see he looked calm and satisfied, despite having been flung across the room earlier.

When he caught sight of her though, his jaw dropped. He stared at the two humans, taking in the scene of Levy's arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulder and the two humans tugging with all their might. The three stared at one another in blank shock until Lucy gave Natsu a nervous smile.

"Uh, whoops?"

-::-

Cauterizing Erza's wound had gone exactly the way Natsu expected it would. With the Fairy Queen waking up in the middle of the process and flinging Natsu clear across the room in a rage that could rival the fury of Mother Nature herself.

Now Erza was sitting up with the aid of Jellal, her eyes narrowed in pain. The blood had drawn from her face, not to mention how her lips trembled in agony.

But she was alive.

He was going to call 'good enough,' on that one.

His terrifying friend was back among the living, all of her considerable magic pouring into her recovery. When her eyes landed on him though, Natsu saw something he hadn't expected to see.

A smile.

"Natsu, I should have known those flames belong to you. Apologies, I might have gotten carried away in resisting," Exhaustion marred her beautiful face, but her tendency to overdo everything made Natsu relax. She pushed herself forward onto her elbows. There was a haze in her eyes that indicated she did not have long before she blacked out again.

Her damaged gauntlet groped through the air, landing on Natsu's wrist. She gripped him with more strength than what should have been possible for her in the condition she was in. But Erza was always filled with surprises, so Natsu grinned at her.

"Did you find it?" She asked, hand growing lax around him, "The light? That's what you left to find – correct?"

Natsu stiffened in shock. His mouth dropped open and he shuddered at her simple words. The light. She meant – she knew?

Had she always known?

A confirming smile spread over his face, dragging his lips up to the corners of his ears.

Of course she knew. It only made sense. The light – Lumen Histoire, was born from the fairies. Erza was the Titania which took the crown from Mavis after her disappearance. Besides, if Natsu defected from the battlefield, Erza would be the first to hunt him down and drag his screaming ass home. Instead Gajeel had come for him. Erza must not have wanted to disrupt his personal mission.

She was always weird like that.

"The 'light'?" Gray demanded, his voice breaking the silence in a frustrated growl. Of course he was left in the dark, and Natsu favored him with a narrowed look, already expecting a fight with the bastard, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

His head snapped towards Natsu, a warning expression flashing over his face. Silent was his _dare_ for Natsu to try and lie to him. It was clear that no matter the current circumstances surrounding their problems, he was still angry at the demon for abandoning his post. The past several months had no doubt taken a strain on him, and there seemed like something else was bugging the human.

Natsu's jaw sealed stubbornly shut, his eyes flashing in challenge back to Gray – as if demanding the demon slayer to make him talk. Erza's wrist squeezed his wrist, far more threatening a move than any glare by Gray.

"Enough," Her voice shot out, silencing the two of them before they could get into it. It was lacking the commanding bite that was typical for Erza, but her exhaustion was making her impatient. Far more dangerous than other possibilities.

"Tell him Natsu, he deserves to know. We can trust those in this room," She shuddered. Natsu frowned. He didn't like the tremble of weakness in his voice, so he conceded without complaint. Well without much complaint.

It would be nice to get this out in the open once and for all.

"Lumen Histoire. It was created by Mavis to hold the light of all the worlds and stem the tide of darkness caused by Zeref," Natsu recited the old diction Igneel had drummed into his head, "My dad was supposed to find it and keep it safe. It has the power to combat Zeref himself and eradicate all forms of darkness.

There was a long pause, everyone in the room absorbing this information.

Ultear was the first to speak.

"Darkness," she repeated. Her eyes went wide in understanding the true meaning of his words, "You don't mean – "

"Demons," Jellal finished with grim understanding. His eyes flashed to Natsu, "All demons?"

Natsu gave them a shrewd grin and nodded, "Yeah. Mavis originally used it to put Zeref back into his giant can of evil, but we can use it to fight back against Mard Geer and his generals."

Erza nodded, "It comes with two risks – one, if it were to be misused or damaged, the light within Lumen Histoire could fade away. All the light in every world would be extinguished. Only demons could survive in a world like that."

Gray's eyes were locked on Natsu. Dark eyes were icy with anger and his tattooed arm came up to grab Natsu around his scarf. This was coming, he could see the knowledge twisting in all of their eyes, but Gray would be the only one to react. He was already prepared for that.

"The second risk is to _you_, isn't it?" Gray spat, his expression pale and hand shaking, "The risk using this against a powerful demon – this could destroy you Natsu! What're you thinking – don't you think we've lost enough people already?"

Natsu swatted away the slayer's hand and growled back at him, "Of course I've thought about that. That thing could easily vaporize me if I'm too close to it. I just gotta keep my distance and I'll be fine. There's nothing that could get me close to that thing when it goes off!"

Surveying Gray, Natsu was able to see his friend was not inclined at all to let this go. For whatever reason, it seemed like he was taut with tension and denial. Natsu didn't understand what was eating at him. He figured he was soon likely to figure out the reason behind it though.

"Gray—"

He pulled away from Natsu, stomping towards one of Ultear's plush chairs and dropping down on it, fuming. His sister rolled her eyes and threw a bundle of herbs at him with a low command for him to get them some tea started.

Knowing better to argue with her, even while at the height of anger, Gray shot to his feet and headed to the back room. He brushed by a curtain of thick beads, ducking under the low doorframe and disappeared in the back.

"He'll get over it," Ultear sighed, staring back at him. She returned her attention to Erza and set a hand on her forehead, but her gaze lifted to Natsu.

"He sent Juvia out with a message to Meredy, but I could sense she was upset when it went through," Ultear looked worried, "Whatever she saw from Juvia, it wasn't good. I'm not sure what condition she is in if she's even still alive."

Natsu felt his heart drop to his stomach, understanding causing his own frustrations to flag. He looked down to Erza, who was closing her eyes with grief. Meredy and Juvia. They were under attack at the time.

And Gray.

That idiot.

No wonder he was furious. Another death, even a potential risk of one was bound to worry him.

Any further steps turned out to be unnecessary when Gajeel poked his head in, a dark frown on his face.

"Oy, who's dying?" He asked, shoving his way into the already cramped room. Natsu scowled at him. Mr. Sensitivity himself made an appearance – not that Natsu was one to talk.

"I am, thank you for the concern," Erza said weakly. Jellal guided her back down to a reclining position; worry gleaming in his brown eyes.

It didn't take long to get Gajeel up to date with everything. It was just a summary of Erza throwing him into a wall after all, and the iron dragon had enough gall to look disappointed he missed it. Although his expression turned grim when news of Fairy Tail's fall reached him. Juvia's unknown fate, and the rest of their guild struggling to stay alive were all terrible hits, especially for the moment they were safe in the human realm.

"Well, now that this fire has been put out, I got another one for ya," Gajeel growled, jerking his thumb to the next room over, "I noticed a portal when I walked in. But it wasn't closing on its own. Blondie was taking a pretty good look at it when Levy and I arrived."

Natsu frowned.

"That's not good," Jellal said with soft concern, "The portals should close on their own, if there is something keeping it open, that must mean the barrier between the worlds is starting to degrade."

His grip around Erza's hand tightened.

"This is my fault," she breathed, her free hand coming around to press against her fresh burn. Pain crawled between her eyebrows, "Fairies put up the barriers to prevent mischievous sprites from entering the human world. So long as I'm in this weakened state, I'm afraid any portal we create will stay open."

Ultear stared at her in horror.

"You mean you opened a gate into my shop and it can't close!" Ultear screamed into the back at her brother. The sounds of panicked clanging alerted them to Gray's desperate attempt to escape, but Ultear was disappearing into the kitchen. Long black hair whipped around in an angry curtain, disappearing through the beaded hangings with a clattering chime.

Natsu grabbed a towel, his spirits brightening a little at the sounds of Gray trying to flee his sister, "I better make sure Lucy doesn't accidentally fall through the gate then."

He began to clean the blood off his hands, shooting a look back at Jellal and Erza, "Rest up alright? The sooner you're back on your feet, the sooner these gates are going to lock back up tight!"

Erza gave him a wane smile.

Good enough for Natsu, he left to the main room where he sent Lucy.

…

Only to see her elbow deep in the portal with Levy trying to tug her out. Lucy's arm was wind milling around in a desperate circle. His jaw dropped open at the ridiculous picture playing out in front of him, his brain struggling to catch up. Because really, out of all the possible scenarios he thought he could be walking in on – this wasn't one of them.

Humor began to bubble up through his chest in a confusing swell. The towel hung limp between his reddened fingers.

_Hold it together Natsu_, he told himself firmly. Sharp tears of rib-cracking laughter pricked his eyes as he struggled to suppress the bubble working in him. Erza had just been stabbed, the guild was gone, their world was decaying. There was absolutely nothing funny about their situation damn it!

Then, just as he thought he had it under control—

"Uh, whoops?"

That was the last bit to set Natsu off. He let out a loud cackle of laughter, bending over on himself to brace bloodied hands on his knees. He pointed at Lucy, huffing through wheezing hoots. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees and pounded a fist against the floor, giggling like a child.

"Natsu! It's not funny! Get me out of this thing!" Lucy protested, her voice coming out high. He didn't need to look up at her to know her face was red. The pitch of her voice told him every inch of outraged and embarrassed Lucy he was dealing with.

Looking up at her, it was like the weight of the past hour fell off his shoulders. His body relaxed enough his chest no longer felt like a vice was trying to crush his heart through his ribs. His thoughts, heavy with with duty, planning, and rebellion, lifted at the sight of Lucy's flushed face.

There was no doubt this human was magical.

"Alright alright, I'll get you out. Erza's fine by the way, so you can quite whining," he climbed back to his feet and shooed Levy away so he could loop an arm along her ribcage. Natsu tried very hard to ignore how his forearm brushed along the underside of her breasts. He was very lucky Lucy couldn't see his face from this angle, because he felt his head might burst into flames.

It required him to guide her against his chest, leaning her back into him. His chin rested somewhere near her shoulder, his mouth next to her ear. She squirmed a bit as his body slid in behind hers, his hips bumping against a shapely rear. For a few criminal seconds, his brain flat lined.

A ragged breath caught his attention, and Natsu was surprised it wasn't coming from _him_.

It was coming from Lucy.

How interesting.

Her heartbeat was pounding against her ribs as Natsu's hand found it's way against her waist. A tremble worked through her body, a slender hand dropping down against his knuckles to brace herself. She pressed his palm firmer into her side, his thumb pressing just under the hem of her shirt.

"You ready?" He growled against her ear. Her shaky nod drew a low chuckle from the back of his throat.

By all the devils and gods, this woman was too much for words sometimes.

"Alright then, one two—"

"Guys I am still right here in the room with you!" Levy shrieked from somewhere behind them, "have some decency!"

Natsu jerked in surprise, pulling Lucy out from the portal before 'three.' Her squeal of surprise and subsequent arm flailing caused Natsu to fall back with her on top of him. Both women were left groaning, one from gravity and the other from disgust.

The demon just laughed, amusement rolling from him. By the soft way Lucy was sprawled over his body, a sort of contentment washed over him. His hand rested at her hip, his thumb circling against the soft skin under her ribs. An arm flung itself around her shoulders, a lazy weight against her shoulders to keep her lying against him.

Levy left to find Gajeel, deeming the room next door safe enough now that Natsu had given the all clear. She was muttering something about public indecency and perverted demons.

He just tightened his arms around Lucy, both of them sprawled out on the dusty floor of Ultear's shop. His head tilted to the side, seeing all kinds of dried herbal leaves mixed in with the dust bunnies that collected in the corners of the room. Looking up at the ceiling, he could see all the bundles of mystical plants bound and dry hanging overhead.

It hurt his nose, but he was too comfortable with Lucy on top of him to move.

The human shifted her weight against him, attracting his attention as she wiggled on his stomach.

"Natsu, you okay?" She asked him. Her fingers were a light caress against his arm. He was unable to stop a smile at her concern.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he grinned into her neck, dragging her up further against him. Her head leaned back against his shoulder so he could press his nose into her cheek.

"Lets just stay like this for a little while longer, alright?"

He didn't know if it was his imagination or not, but the way her body slid against his felt almost too perfect. Lucy relaxed against him, her hand making its way on top of his and threading their fingers together. Turning, she tilted her head towards his so his nose bumped against hers.

So close.

His distraction was so close profound, he almost didn't hear her next words.

"As long as you want Natsu," her hand squeezed his, "I'm with you for as long as you want me."

His eyes glowed with brightness at her words, looking at her face even from their awkward angle. His eyes slid down across her face, lingering on the lips that were so close he could taste. He wondered if she knew what she was offering him. Natsu hoped she did.

He wanted to lean into her and steal her breath from her lungs, hoard her away by his side like the jealous dragon he was. Maybe even throw her in a tower to keep her safe.

One arm tightened around her. A possessive little action, unique enough to tell anyone with two brain cells to rub together he was very happy.

"Weirdo," Natsu smiled at her, "As if I'm going to let you go?"

Lucy let out a tinkling laugh, but her brown eyes slid closed. She appeared to be very deep in thought even as her thumb caressed the top of his hand. For a moment, Natsu didn't think she was ever going to reply. Then, so quiet he almost missed it, she breathed—

"I'm counting on you holding me."

-::-

_**Wow thank you everyone so much for all the reviews and support! 20 reviews! Wow! I'm absolutely amazed by that sort of turn out! It makes me very happy to write this! **_


	11. Milk and Gremlins

**Warning: There is M related material in this chapter. If you do not wish to read it, bypass the material BETWEEN the asterisks (*)**

Lucy was content with many event in her confusing mess of a life. Even when those events resulted in holes being blasted into her precious apartment. She really was lucky no one had done enough damage to a wall to tear it down. Yet. Not that she was holding her breath. She was just waiting for the day when she would come home from a long day at work only to find Natsu trying to hide a fire extinguisher behind his back while the entire kitchen was ablaze.

Oh wait, that happened in her previous apartment.

Right.

Perhaps it was time to go house hunting. She was just glad Natsu had a way of paying for himself, mysterious though his funds were. Lucy wasn't going to question it – she was just happy her savings weren't taking such a hit any more. However that did leave the problem of saying 'no' to Natsu when they went grocery shopping. It became that much harder when he was footing the bill.

Lucy had to have some mercy on the deli and butcher. She couldn't very well let Natsu clean them out of their entire stock of food. That never stopped him from trying every time, so Lucy had to keep a close eye on the demon. He was a relentless force of nature – one that refused to stop even in the face of a hurricane.

The image of Natsu screaming 'fight me' to the sky popped into her head and a small giggle escaped her.

Speaking of the demon, he ran up to Lucy, pushing two cards towards her with a hopeful grin on his face. It was that time of the week again. The time where the sales associates would start clambering over one another to try and get on their break roughly around the time it was time for them to check out. It was so embarrassing they had gained a reputation in a grocery store.

If she hadn't experienced his voracious appetite first hand, she would have thought him taking two carts was some kind of joke. Lucy knew better to think he couldn't fill both of the carts up to the brim now. She was older, wiser. She had lived through the Piggly Wiggly Disaster of '15.

She rolled her eyes, unmoved by his pleading gaze. Pretty though his eyes were, she had more grit to her to fall for such a devious trap anymore. Demons created 'puppy eyes' – she was certain of it. Probably werewolves were responsible. If they existed.

Huh.

'_Note to self, ask Natsu if werewolves exist,'_ she thought to herself.

"No Natsu, you know the drill. One cart and one hand basket," Lucy said without giving an inch. She pointed her finger back to the entrance to have him return one cart. Broad shoulders slumped in dismay; a rebellious pout was shot in her direction. Natsu wisely obeyed despite his silent protests, his eyes flashing with challenge.

Lucy sighed. He always got like this when they went shopping.

Natsu became a champion of Tetris by how compact he crammed everything into the cart and basket. Not an inch of space was wasted. She believed this was the only aspect of his life he became a neat freak. Boxes became organized by size, stacked in neat piles. Meat was balanced in Styrofoam trays in the child seat. Milk sat under the meat to keep it cool while two cartons of eggs found their home nestled between chicken breasts and pork tenderloins.

Since Natsu bought the groceries, Lucy didn't care what he purchased.

_Most of the time._

But if he got his way, he would buy an entire live cow and ask Lucy to cook it for him. He had done it before. It had been a bit of a surprise to him to realize humans no longer went out of their way to slaughter their own meat, so she supposed it wasn't that much of a surprise to find out the last time he surfaced in the human realm it had been in the middle of the American Civil War.

So Lucy found herself with a cow in her living room and not the faintest idea of what to do with it. She had the insane idea to try and find a way to sell it for magic beans, but knowing Natsu – he would take her seriously and they would have a beanstalk growing through their bathroom instead.

Sneaking a braying cow out of the apartment was hard enough in the middle of the night. It was made harder by Natsu's whining.

Where was Lucy supposed to store Natsu's idea of a grocery list?

Natsu's bathtub was still filled with Cheerios and boxes of Fruit Loops. Which of course meant the demon had invaded _her_ bathroom for all his bathing needs.

Alright she didn't mind that so much.

Lucy wasn't so sure that was a curse or a blessing. Natsu often had the habit of walking out of the steaming bathroom with nothing but a towel hanging low on trim hips. Watching the pathways of water droplets sliding around defined muscles and soaking into his towel had become something of a hobby for Lucy.

Praise the Kellogg gods.

She was just grateful Natsu didn't try to use the bathtub as a giant bowl of cereal. An expression when shared with Natsu, earned her a faintly disgusted look.

'_Do humans do that? That seems pretty nasty,'_ He had asked.

It really was cute how he sometimes was so horrified by humans. For him, she imagined the human race was like watching a train wreck he couldn't look away from. Learning about one another was enough of a culture shock for either human or demon. She couldn't wait to introduce him to the Internet.

The reminder he would be leaving soon drained the humor from her. Lucy shouldered her purse across her arm, watching as Natsu wheeled back a single buggy and hand basket.

They left Ultear's shop two days ago. Everyone's spirits were flagging, but Lucy was amazed by the determination of the group around her. Natsu had disappeared in the backroom with Gray after the demon slayer walked in on their embarrassing position on the floor. So seeing as she had been left alone in the room with a portal to damnation she already got stuck in once, Lucy walked in the adjoining room to check on Erza.

_The red head was in a low conversation with Levy and Gajeel. Jellal remained faithfully by her side, supporting her head. Whatever conversation stopped at Lucy's approach. Erza's eyes found hers and the firm expression on her face softened into one of welcome._

"_Ah, you must be Lucy. We were just talking about you," Erza smiled at her. Somewhere along the line, she had lost the remains of her armor. The pieces of which were stacked in a corner of the room they were occupying, waiting for repair. The woman's upper body was wrapped completely in bandages, but pooling around her waist was Jellal's cloak. _

_Ripped and tattered wings were exposed in full. While he had been ashamed of them before when Lucy looked upon them, it seemed Jellal hadn't hesitated to remove his cloak to keep Erza warm and protected without her armor._

_Every now and then, a breeze would drift through the room. An echo of chimes and clattering of bones filled the quiet air from the strange, mystical objects Ultear hung from the windows and ceiling. The breeze floated through Jellal's shredded wings. It looked like every breeze to them brought him indescribable pain, but the man shouldered it in silence. His focus was on Erza alone. _

_Lucy realized the man was in love with her. _

_There was a great and tragic story between the two fairies. One she felt like she was intruding on. _

_Erza's hand curled into his, their mutual feelings drifting in clear language over the simple connection. Suddenly, Lucy felt as if she was looking upon something intimate – something more private than words could describe. Her eyes averted to Levy._

"_I have to give you my utmost thanks in seeing after Natsu, Levy has informed me of the nature of your arrangement. I must apologize on behalf of the intrusion, I know Natsu can be a bit of a handful at times," Erza said smiling._

_Lucy just waved her hands to deflect embarrassment, "Oh well sure he's energetic, but I've enjoyed having him around."_

_A glint of happiness reflected in Erza's eyes._

"_I am glad he had you then," Erza said, quiet fondness in her voice. She closed her eyes and pushed herself out of Jellal's arms. _

_She ignored his warning for her not to push herself and swung her legs out onto the floor. When she stumbled, Lucy rushed forward to brace her shoulders. It was then she noticed he translucent wings that hung from her back. They drooped with exhaustion, but shone with opalescent light. Lucy had to resist the urge to reach out and touch them._

_But under her hand, branded on Erza's arm was a blue tattoo. A strange mark she saw etched into both Natsu and Gajeel._

_She wondered what that mark meant._

"_Please don't push yourself," Lucy pleaded._

_Erza shook her head, eyes smiling even through her pain. She strained up, "For this I must. You've done us a great service in helping Natsu, so what I ask of you next – I do not ask it lightly."_

_The firmness in the Queen's voice brought Lucy a shudder of unease. But she nodded to listen to her carefully. Lucy had a feeling it was important._

"_For us to win this war, you need to let Natsu go."_

_At the time Lucy hadn't known what to say. Erza seemed to understand in more words than she ever could. A sad smile was on her face, as if knowing Lucy had come to Ultear's shop to find an answer to that very question. _

_She shook her head and closed her eyes, "You have to look deep in yourself and ask yourself what you truly desire. At the end of the day, you must realize the bonds we carry with us are the greatest and simplest kind of magic."_

_Her hand came to rest over Lucy's heart._

"_Only when you face your feelings head on, will you both be free."_

A can of condensed milk was abruptly shoved under Lucy's nose.

It was a highly effective way of tearing her attention from her thoughts.

"Lucy! Jeez! Seriously, where's your head?" Natsu demanded, creeping into her personal space as he often did when he investigated something. He filled her vision with tanned skin, sharp eyes and feathery pink hair. For as many times as he did this, they ended up crashing foreheads about half of the time. He never seemed to learn that lesson. Or perhaps he just enjoyed crawling into her personal bubble.

It was an act he seemed to perform with more frequency as the days passed but Lucy couldn't bring herself to be bothered by it. No, in fact she really enjoyed the odd moments his arm would drift around her back, or when he propped his chin on her shoulder when he was too lazy to hold his head up. Not to mention the odd fascination he had with sprawling half on top of her when they slept together.

Granted, that last bit was harder for her to ignore. Natsu's solid heat and weight pressing against her filled her mind with all kinds of impure thoughts that would make any demon proud. Which was certainly part of her problem _now_.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," Lucy apologized, her eyes following the can he was waving in his hand. Her hands snatched his wrist in the air, calming his movements so he wouldn't accidentally punch a shopper in the face with his wild motions, "This is for baking Natsu – not for use as a blunt weapon."

"But that's far less interesting," Natsu protested, fingers grasping for the can when Lucy pried it from him. His eyes were dark and studying, focused on her face. His expression brightened with an abruptness she found most suspicious. He ran down several aisles, carrying cookies and wafers and Caprisun, each of them getting turned away from their cart. Her eyes rolled almost to the back of her head at his pout, before he disappeared and reappeared with a two cans of whipped cream.

Lucy smiled in exasperation, getting wise to the fact he was trying to distract her from her thoughts. She didn't know how he knew, but he always was able to tell whenever she was thinking so hard something began to bother her. Her heart thumped at the wide smile that accompanied his thoughtfulness.

"Really Natsu, what're we going to do with two cans of whipped cream?" She asked him.

The demon just pouted and turned to leave to put them back, when Lucy thought better of it, a sudden idea sparking in her head. She managed to snag the hem of his shirt, catching his attention enough to drag him back a few steps.

"Wait."

Natsu looked at her over his shoulder, his bright red shirt clutched in Lucy's hand, enough for her to catch a glimpse of the odd orange graphic printed over it. Some loud, obnoxious thing he had bought when she dragged him to the mall to buy some clothes the one tattered pair of harem pants, waistcoat and a single vest he owned at the time. He still had his old clothes around the apartment somewhere – Natsu didn't like change, so he had dragged his feet over wearing his new clothes for a week until Lucy locked him in the bathroom. Refusing to let him out under any circumstance until he wiggled his admittedly nice butt into a pair of jeans was perhaps a bit of an extreme step though.

But his clothes were just too strange on their own.

Now when she saw the way the red seemed to work against his tan skin, bringing out brown hues in his hazel eyes, her mouth both watered and went dry in turns. Her decision to push him to wear normal clothes was a choice all mortals would thank her over for years to come.

Her heart hammered in her chest, her grip on his shirt tightening when she took a swaying step towards him. Dark eyes riveted to her with the motion she took, her hand brushing against his to slide one of the cans from his loose grip.

"You never know when we might need it," Her eyes glinted with a dangerous light, and she watched with predatory satisfaction as Natsu's adam's apple bobbed hard in his throat. The strangest expression flashed over his face in that moment, a look so intense, it should have been illegal for him to look at her like that in public. Mixed with one Lucy imagined was what he would look like if Natsu had an anvil dropped on his head from thirty stories high.

She gave him a mischievous wink and turned away to slide it in the cart. Natsu's eyes followed her every step, and she could feel the focus of his gaze burning holes into the back of her shirt.

"Come on Natsu," Lucy called out, glancing back at him where she was putting the canister away, "Are you going to put the other one back today or are you waiting for it to spoil?"

"Right!" He jumped a bit, a blush rising to his cheeks as he whipped around, trying to hide the rosy hue of his skin to Lucy's quick eyes. She watched him lope off, and was satisfied to note that his stride was quite a bit stiffer than usual.

She would have patted herself on the back if not for the fact he would see and get suspicious. It was still nice to know she could affect him with a few words the same way he could burn her alive with one piercing stare.

He was back at her side in a moment, a grin on his face and his fingers twisting through pink hair near his ear. A little habit she noticed he did whenever he was nervous. This time she couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright Natsu, lets check out," Lucy steered the cart towards the lines. She blinked as she thought she heard him say something under his breath.

"Already did"

"What was that?" She asked, glancing back at him. The demon coughed to clear his throat, nervousness clear on his face.

"Nothing! Lets check out!"

-::-

Unloading the groceries was organized chaos, but at least she and Natsu had a system down. Unlike Natsu's original plan, which involved driving Lucy's car directly through someone's apartment to park in front of the door, they decided on a method which would not bring down the property values of the building. They would both start carrying items in, Natsu dragging in the heavier items, while Lucy got to work putting everything away.

As enthusiastic of a worker as Natsu was when he got 'all fired up,' it didn't take long for Natsu to move everything from the car inside.

That was when the chaos really started.

When Natsu wanted to help put everything away.

He thought tossing a sack of flour at Lucy was a proper way to pass her an item. It was only by luck that he looked up to see Lucy practically crushed under the sack the first time they put away groceries. The demon had laughed himself into hysterics before he pulled it off her and put it away himself.

Which lead to another slew of problems.

Natsu was taller than Lucy, which meant all of their items were at varying heights in the pantry. Some of which were so tall she would need a stool to reach. She was certain he did this on purpose, no matter how much whining she did about it, he continued to put the groceries wherever he wanted.

No doubt he enjoyed watching her jump and struggle to reach the cereal every morning. Often times he would comment on the fluffy bunny slippers she would wear, telling her a rabbit could jump higher than her, so she needed to try a little harder.

To which she would reply a rabbit could also kick pretty hard if he didn't help her.

No surprise, Natsu would leap to his feet and run over to help her after that warning.

In the early mornings when his body was warm from thick blankets and his natural heat still, he would crowd in behind Lucy. His hand would slide into the pocket of his pajama bottoms while his other hand reached over her. Natsu's chin would drop down on the crown of her head as he plucked whatever she wanted that was out of reach and drop it in front of her. Plue would conspire against her and run around her feet at the sight of the pantry door open, keeping her standing still under the threat of tripping over his tiny body. Not that she minded.

Lucy watched Natsu stack three cylinders of oatmeal on the very top shelf, far enough that even he had to stretch for it. She loved oatmeal. So logically it should find its home on a shelf both of them could easily reach. But she held her tongue, deciding to let Natsu have his odd system of organizing. It was a disarray, it made no sense and she was halfway convinced he was doing it all on purpose, that being said she made no effort to call him out on it. She liked this odd ritual they had fallen into. It made her feel close to him.

By the time they made it back to the apartment, the sun was already starting to set. When the groceries were all crammed into the pantry and fridge, and a few cereal boxes tossed in with Natsu's collection in his bathtub, it was dark. Grocery shopping was a chore with normal people, but with a dragon to feed, it was even worse.

Exhausted, she and Natsu flopped down together on the sofa, their feet hanging off opposite sides as their heads met one another in the center. Lucy's cheek was pressing against Natsu's, the abnormal heat from him sinking into her skin. She sighed, just enjoying the way they laid there in companionable silence.

She turned, her cheek nosing against his temple to look at his face. Natsu's eyes were closed, breathing even, but with a smile on his face – clearly aware of her looking at him.

"Yeah?" He asked, not moving from his position or creaking his eyes open. She smiled at him, a soft grin tender with emotion. She was glad his eyes were closed, because if he opened them, her emotions would be an open book to him.

"Wanna watch a movie?" She asked, poking his cheek. Her smile turned mischievous.

"Gremlins?" He asked, his smile turning hopeful, "The little fuzzy gerbil reminds me of Happy."

Lucy laughed. She had heard a lot about this Happy character. The one who was such close friends with Natsu and apparently resembled a tiny cat with blue fur. He sounded like an oddball, just like Natsu, so it made sense to her why they would be so fond of one another.

"Can you feed him after midnight?" She asked, sitting up. Natsu followed the motion, twisting to press his heels against the coffee table. His body was relaxed, fingers disappearing under his shirt to scratch at his stomach in long, lazy strokes.

"Yeah but only fish," he laughed.

She watched him reached into the moving box by the couch. It was beat up and folded in places. Just like the couch it had scorch marks and ash collected in the folds. It had all Lucy's movies in it, she never had the chance to unpack it even after all these months of living in the apartment with Natsu.

Across from it was where Lucy had thrown a fireball at the Carrion Crawler. She had painted over it, but now it was bleeding through the paint, leaving a large dark blotch on the wall. Natsu had gone back and drawn a smiley face on the wall over the spot, deciding not to let the opportunity go to waste.

She would have to buy some primer soon before she had an inspection of the apartment by the landlords.

Crooked and smiling, the face stared back at her.

Maybe she should keep it?

Her eyes followed the straight line of his body as he walked over to the dvd player and popped the case open. Gremlins spun on his index finger while he waited for the tray to slide open. As was typical for Natsu, his eyes flashed with impatience while he waited for the disc to read. He swayed on the balls of his feet, jabbing the play button on the device.

Her remote had long since been reduced to a twisted, pile of melted plastic in an accident involving Natsu and pancakes.

She still didn't know how that happened or why pancakes were involved.

The movie began to play, but Lucy let out a shriek and scrambled over the back of the couch as a thought sprang to her mind. Natsu gave her an alarmed look but didn't move. Figured he would be used to her odd outbursts by now. It seemed he was able to differentiate between her screaming in terror over insects now over demons trying to attack her.

Well most of the times.

Sometimes he still skidded into her room, his fists blazing and battle-ready, only to find Lucy in just a towel and pointing at a cockroach skittering across the wall.

Lucy laughed at the bland look on Natsu's face as she skipped into the kitchen and pulled out the can of whipped cream. She waved it at him, watching as his eyes turned a shade darker at the sight of it and the tips of his ears went pink.

"Wha— ?"

"Baby bird!" Lucy smiled at his stammering confusion, popping open the cap and spraying some of it into her mouth. She giggled at the foamy sweetness, knowing this was terrible but unable to stop herself. Because Natsu's mouth was hanging open, she took advantage of his surprise to stick the nozzle in his mouth and spray some of the sugary cream out.

Coughing his surprise, Natsu flailed a hand out and caught her wrist. He ran his tongue across his canines and lips as he swallowed, judging the odd texture and flavor of the new human treat he discovered.

"Weird," he noted, dragging his tongue once past his lips again, eyes drawing on her, "But not bad."

"You don't look all that surprised by it," Lucy noted with disappointment as he slid the can from her hand to spray another inch in his mouth. She obediently opened her mouth when he grinned at her and asked 'baby bird?'

Much to Lucy's surprise, Natsu did not take advantage of the fact she was playing along to spray the entire can in her mouth. Instead he just did a quick spray and passed the can back to her. Which was surprising, who knew Natsu could be such a good sport?

"Why would I be surprised?" Natsu asked, his tongue catching between his fangs, his eyes averted from the movie playing. Between their odd game and conversation, it was serving as background noise, "I expected it would taste something like that."

Lucy just laughed and shook her head, "I'm just surprised, and teaching you about some of my weird human foods has been really fun."

She pretended she didn't notice the way he watched her spray the cream in her mouth, "Baby bird?"

He opened his mouth again to play the part.

"I can't believe you wouldn't let me get a can of condensed milk to use as a weapon but you got to get a can of cream to play Baby Bird," Natsu pouted. Although it was clear he really didn't understand what 'Baby Bird' was. Just a fun game to pass around with a friend. And to see which one would snap first and empty the entire can on one another's face. Lucy was surprised by Natsu's restraint.

"You say that as if you aren't having fun, besides you wanted this too remember?" Lucy grinned at him, inviting him to shoot her a grumpy glare, "Even though I know you were just suggesting random things to make me feel better – I appreciate it."

His hand snagged out to grab the can and he capped it, shaking it slowly to keep it fresh. He leaned his head back and shrugged, "You were looking bummed out."

If she didn't know better, Lucy would say Natsu was blushing.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice coming in a low murmur. Concern lined his face, his dark eyes wide on her as if trying to peer into her soul. Proof lay before her that Natsu was more observant than anyone ever gave him credit for.

"I am now, yeah just – "

She breathed out, remembering Erza's words.

_Face your feelings head on._

"Just what?" Natsu asked, blinking as Lucy tugged him to his feet. She pulled him around with her off the couch, wanting to be standing up when she followed the fairy Queen's advice. Her legs felt like they would give out from nerves alone. Even Natsu was beginning to look a little nervous.

"Just I was thinking I was never going to be able to free you," Lucy murmured, watching as a confused frown made itself known on Natsu's face. She already knew what he was going to say.

He had faith in her.

He never doubted her.

"But I think I know why the bond won't break," Lucy said, her lips trembling and body stiff. Natsu's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. For a moment, both emotions warred over his face before it settled on focused listening.

"I think I've known for a long time now, but I've been too afraid to say or do anything about it," Lucy looked down and twisted her fingers together. Her heart pounded, feeling like it was about to burst through her chest, "It's because of what I feel for you. Maybe not at first, but it's what's stopping you from moving forward now."

Natsu took a step towards her, invading her space. His eyes flashed with warning, his knuckles brushing light circles against the backs of her hands.

"Don't say it Lucy," he breathed, a wave of heat rolling off his body. Understanding was sliding over every rigid line. She watched the muscles in his shoulders tense and her heart flooded with a rainbow of emotion she couldn't bring names to.

"I have to," she whispered back to him, lifting her head towards the demon's. Natsu didn't waver, and despite his words earlier, he was giving her his full attention as if nothing else was more important in the world than what she was about to say.

"I love you."

The words hung out in the open like a rope of friction between the two of them. It tied them together, smothering them under the rapid beat of their hearts. There they were, out in the open and crackling with the tension that was always between them. A fire that threatened to consume them both.

His eyes burned into her like two coals. They were dark, branding her under his hungry gaze. Lucy shivered, feeling as if he had physically caressed her. The demon kept his distance. The space between them was narrow, but the air heated between them, rising in temperature enough Lucy knew Natsu was not unaffected by their proximity. Daring and hopeful, she reached out, drawing a hand forward to hook fingers in the fabric of his shirt.

"Natsu," She breathed. Lucy noticed how his eyes sharpened with intensity when she spoke, the space between them closing another inch. Did she move? Or had he?

It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was how the two of them were breathing the same air, shared between them in a way she could only describe as intimate. Her cheeks went rosy at the thought, the romantic novelist in her unable to stop thinking. Star-crossed lovers if she had ever seen a pairing more accurate.

She let out a shaky breath and wet her lips, eyes falling to his parted mouth. His breathing came in heavier puffs, the sharp points of his canines just visible under his lips. Teeth closed over her bottom lip and she watched his dark gaze follow the motion with the precision of a feline following a laser pointer.

The grip on his shirt tightened, and before Lucy realized it she was pulling him forward the last few inches until his hard body was just grazing against hers. Natsu's breath hitched and Lucy knew she hadn't imagined it. A calloused hand, burning hot against her warm cheek lifted to cup her cheek. If it were possible, Lucy's heart would have jumped out of her chest.

But the questions could wait. Natsu was on her. Hot lips descending over hers, devouring and robbing the breath from Lucy's lungs. His lips tasted like sugar and cinnamon; smoke clinging like the crackling of a burning candle. Her fingers tightened into his threadbare shirt, yanking him forward so Natsu crashed into her.

Her back hit the wall under the heavy force of his body, but he caught himself. He didn't relinquish his hold on her, sharp teeth grazing and lightly pulling. Lucy's head spun in dizzying excitement, returning the kiss with just as much eagerness as he was showing.

Hot fingers were tangling her hair, but Lucy didn't care. The way Natsu guided her mouth to his was burning her blood through her body. The sensation of him pinning her against the wall sent a sharp jolt of tension tightening through her stomach and she let loose an embarrassing sounding whine. A growl vibrated against her, Lucy feeling it come from Natsu by their proximity. Her heart jolted at the heady sound.

His lips worked hers open and her senses were invaded by his spicy scent, traces of their sweet game still lingering across their mouths. A gasp slid free from her and was swallowed by Natsu. He was greedy, pressing his firm body against hers, intending to rob her lungs of all air. *

Her hands slid along his sides, her heart hammering enough to make her lightheaded. But the feeling of their hips crashing together sent electric shudders roaring though her body in a shower of delightful sparks. Lucy's head tipped back from Natsu's hungry mouth, a ragged gasp pushing from her lungs.

Natsu wasn't interested in giving her a moment to catch her breath. That burning mouth pressed claiming lips against her throat, the soft prickle of fangs leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His hands roamed for purchase over Lucy's clothes, her fingers gripping him low to drag him closer while the others twisted into the red shirt, tugging at the material across his chest.

His hips rolled into hers, sending another shudder of mind numbing electricity crackling through Lucy's brain. Hands roamed across the curve of her spine, one trailing all the way up and the other pressing against her breast through her layers of clothing. She was rapidly becoming much too hot, and the feeling of Natsu's hands torturing her was frying all ability to process thoughts.

Rational thinking flew out the window entirely when Natsu's fangs closed over the sensitive spot behind her ear and sucked, hot breaths fanning over the area. Her body trembled against his, hips giving a sharp buck.

He grunted.

It was a sound that filled Lucy with confidence and she trailed a leg up, hooking around his thigh to allow more contact with him. Natsu's body slid in closer, breath mingling between them. Hands grew more insistent in their tugging, hot hands slid under her shirt to press into her stomach before diving below her waist.

Natsu's arms snuck down in one motion, drawing around Lucy's rear and lifting her up. Her legs locked in around Natsu's waist, opening her up for firmed contact with the hardness she could feel pressing against his pants. It was just as desperate for freedom as she was. Lucy was desperate to fly with him. Her arms wrapped around broad shoulders, her hips grinding forward so the heat that coiled between them escalated to a degree that would have made paint peel from the walls.

Lucy met his eyes, and she knew from a single gaze he would stop in a second if she asked him to.

Her heart pounded, her fingers twisting into his hair and claiming his lips with a jealous fire of her own. Her hand dragged across his chest, pulling at the shirt hiding him from her view. She was boiling alive, and only he could do anything to stop it from consuming her.

"Please," Lucy breathed against his snarling lips. Their eyes captured one another, her fingers tugging into pink hair to keep his foggy attention. She didn't know what she was begging for, but only knew Natsu was the only one who could provide it for her. A tight band was pooling in her stomach, a throbbing low between her legs that refused to go ignored.

"_Natsu please."_

That seemed like all the confirmation he needed. Natsu lifted her through the air and dropped down on top of her towards the couch. It groaned under their combined weight, but neither paid it any attention. Lucy was too busy helping him get his shirt off and trying not to laugh when it got stuck on his chin.

Though it was hard to keep laughing though when the sight of him hovering over her made her mouth go dry. Lucy took a moment to admire the hard planes and dips of his trim body, honed by battle and forged by fire. She swallowed hard at the low light in his eyes, watching her every shift with rapt attention as his hands lowered to her waist and slid under her shirt. Lucy's breath caught at the feeling of his hot hands, grazing across her stomach and slowly sliding the fabric up and over her breasts.

Lucy's cheeks were hot as his eyes devoured her, but she was too riled to feel shy under his hungry gaze. She hooked her hands around his neck, fingers tangling in the scarf that remained, using it as an anchor to drag him forward and crash their lips together. She wanted to feel the heat of his weight pressing into her and the sensation of their bodies dragging and pushing together.

Natsu's fangs bruised and nipped at her lips, his hand prying his scarf loose from her hand. He slid it free from her grasp, pulling it from his neck and depositing it carefully on the coffee table. Now the only thing that hung from his neck was the leather cord and obsidian he strung from it. The curious little trinket he made all those weeks ago.

Lucy wasn't interested in it. Not when she finally got to feel Nastu's body laying into hers, the heat from his skin leeching into her and making her squirm with impatience. She spread her legs to accommodate his muscular body, her nails finding purchase in his back as he flexed his hips hard into her spread legs. Her body fluttered with wanton desire, the dry grinding pushing her right against the edge.

At once his heat left her and he pushed away. Lucy's mouth opened to complain, but the predatory glint in Natsu's eyes had all thoughts of protest dying away in her throat. His hands dropped to his waistband and tugged open his pants. Before she could get a good look at him, the demon was on her again. He was bent over her his mouth closing on top of the fabric of her bra.

His mouth burned her, but it was the most enticing feeling. She whimpered, her back bowing off the couch to press her chest more firmly into his heated mouth. Her hands buried into his hair as he tortured her through the fabric. Impatience outlined his movements, and she realized his hands had slithered around her back to grasp at the clasp.

Lucy couldn't smother her laugh at his confused tugging. Centuries old demon or not, some things were too hard for any man to figure out the first time they tried.

In a flash her bra was on the floor, Natsu's mouth closing over the peak of a rosy nipple. Lucy's laughter choked off into a groan of pleasure, his hand kneading into her free breast while clever lips and fangs bit a tender path under the swell of her curves. She only had the presence of mind to wonder where his other hand had gone, when she felt something tugging at her skirt. His fingers slid between the folds of fabric, pushing her damp panties to the side.

The first brush of his calloused fingers grazing her core had her thighs clenching against his hips. Her body writhed into his, pushing against his firm weight that kept her trapped against the cushions. His thumb circled her clit in torturous, slow motions, an index finger sliding into her to rub her inner walls. Lucy made no effort to hide the desperate keen that filled the air.

"Shit Lucy," Natsu's voice growled low against her chest. He released his hold on her, mouth sliding free from her breast and tongue running across his lips. When he looked at her, there was rawness on his face that caused Lucy's breath to completely stop.

He was done playing; she could see it on his face.

That was fine. She was done too.

His hands fisted the fabric of her skirt, yanking it down to her ankles. She lifted herself up so he could slide them down her leg until it was dangling from her foot. Trembling hands tore at his waistband and it took some frustrated wiggling on Natsu's part, but he finally got himself free of his pants.

It was a maddening wait, but well worth it when he was bare to her. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him. Tanned skin and sculpted muscle. Greedy eyes took their time to admire the man in front of her, for the first time free to do so. Her eyes dipped past his waist, her heart fluttering with excitement at the sight of his arousal. He was impressive, with just enough of a curve to make her insides pool with heat. His eyes were sweeping over her as well, enjoying the view of her sprawled out and ravished. They left a lingering path across her body and set her aflame.

"_Lucy_," He growled, drawing a hand around her ankle. He slid back between her legs, his eyes searching hers out. Silent was the question in his gaze, asking her if she was ready for this. His body bent over hers, hips aligning with hers and his arms coming around to grip the armrest over her head. His hips rocked forward, sliding his length between her folds to coat himself with her. She bit her lip at the feeling of so much heat throbbing into her, his body heavy and protective against hers.

Surrounded by his presence like this, she was reminded of his strength. A sense of love and safety flowed through her, giving her the confidence she needed to hook her ankles around his and push her heels into his ass.

Words weren't needed. Natsu's eyes flashed with understanding. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck in clear indication of his concentration. With careful movements, Natsu sank into her, pushing deep into her.

It was like a sharp jolt ran through Lucy. Her body clamped down around his invading warmth and Natsu cursed. It was a dark oath that had her eyes opening to meet his. Unaware of when she had closed them, she was greeted with the sight of Natsu's face drawn in concentration. His body trembled over hers, muscle flexing to keep from moving and a drop of sweat sliding down his temple.

She felt only a slight burn when he stretched her, but in truth she was too overcome by a fog of pleasure she wasn't sure she could even register pain. It had been a long time since she was with another man, but Natsu was not disappointing.

She watched his control unraveling by the second, but still he held on to wait for her to adjust. Smiling, she reached over to him, hooking a hand against his shoulders and drawing him in for a hungry kiss. Her free hand slid against his. Natsu got the picture, threading their fingers together.

The sensation of fangs sliding against her lips distracted her from his penetration, kissing him with languid breaths until she shifted to get a better angle. Her hips shifted, bumping against his groin until a long gasp rushed from both of them. Hot need coiled in a tight band in Lucy's stomach, reminding her of her desperation.

It seemed to remind Natsu of his hunger, because his eyes morphed into a shade of black Lucy had never seen before.

"Lucy, I_ can't_—"

"Move Natsu, please," Lucy cut him off, her hips pushing forward into where he had parted her.

That was the greenlight Natsu was waiting for. His hands sank into the cushions, and Lucy felt his hips slam into hers. The force of which lifted her thighs off the couch and left her seeing stars. He thrust into her again, hands closing around her waist to keep her still, but rolling her legs up to get deeper penetration.

Heat coiled through her stomach and burned through her blood. Natsu was smothering her in his flames, burning them both higher with each aching thrust he made. He caressed her from within, every stroke licking the tension higher. It was something neither of them could control.

Lucy felt the band in her stomach boil and stretch, knotting in on itself with every mad thrust. Her encouraging cries growing in volume with each of Natsu's wild grunts. There was no room for words in the thick heat of the room. His hand closed over hers in a tight grip, Lucy's fingers clenching to him as hard as she could. The air was filling with sounds of their lovemaking, hot groans and pants. Flushed skin slapped against one another, propelled by trim hips that kept up a furious pace.

"Ahhh, yes— " Lucy whimpered, loosening her grip on his hand to take fistfuls of his hair. She pulled on the damp, pink locks, her back arching up towards him, "Almost— "

He didn't let her finish her sentence, his free hand finally available to creep between her legs and lightly pluck at her clit.

It was like a flood broke through a wall.

She let out a yowl of his name in surprise, her orgasm taking her off guard. Molten pleasure filled her limbs in golden waves, curling her toes and making her entire body seize.

Tears trickled down her face as he continued to thrust within her, drawing it out in an endless wave, her body clamping down on him with every aftershock he wrung from her. His hips stuttered and pace went wild. Lucy held onto his shoulders, feeling something slipping in the back of her mind as she watched the tight expression on his face. For a moment, she thought she saw dark spirals twist across the sides of his face before fading away under his skin.

The muscles in his stomach clenched, his spine going rigid as she watched his eyes go unfocused. He jerked his head back, a jet of fire roaring over her head and disappearing in a sprinkle of ash. Lucy watched it disappear in surprise, her heart pounding as he snapped, fire pouring from the edges of his lips. She felt him spill himself inside her, heat that caused a spike of desire to purr within her. A snarl of her name pouring from his lips like a prayer and his jerking hips slowed to a halt.

Panting, the fire extinguished from the back of his throat and he smiled down at Lucy. Sweat curled down his chest and neck, a satiated but sleepy expression in his eyes. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, Lucy's heart fluttering from the sweetness behind it. Their heartbeats slowed, and she could feel his pounding against her.

His arms twisted around her and a groan spilled from him to roll them over. He shifted his hips, pulling out from her and arranging a surprised Lucy on top of him. She smiled against the scar across his neck. His hand rested on the small of her back, his other looped against Lucy's wrist. *

Her head dropped against his chest, turning her head towards the movie, where half of it had already gone by.

It was a comfortable silence after such a heated act, both of them contently laying in one another's arms while Gremlins played in the background.

An experience too strange for words had her giggling into his skin, a loud laugh coming from him in response. His chest shook as he let loose a happy laugh, the two of them not knowing what was so funny, but unable to stop from laughing. Plue walked by with Lucy's underwear on his head, completely ignoring the couple wrapped around one another on the couch.

For whatever reason, Lucy found this more appropriate than any romantic encounter. It would be wild and messy and intense, with a children's movie playing in the background and Plue walking around with her underwear on his head.

That sounded about right.

"No, don't get it wet," Natsu mumbled into her ear, his eyes sliding towards the television where the gremlins were multiplying.

Lucy giggled, amused by a thought that sprang to her head. Natsu's drowsy eyes turned towards her, curiosity glinting behind the sharp features.

"Too late," Lucy breathed against his ear, giggling.

Natsu let loose a shaking laugh as the implications of her dirty joke struck home. The two of them lay there laughing at the top of their lungs, happy and content. Neither of them knowing everything between them had changed in that single moment.

-::-

THERE. YOU. GO.

Hope you all are happy. Hahahaha~ yes. I hope you enjoyed the smutmelon.


	12. Plumber Needed

_**AN: You get a fast update because of ftangstweek. This is the chapter of WaW you are all getting in apology to the angst I'm about to rain down. **_

At some point during the night, Natsu and Lucy had migrated back into her room. Natsu had been perfectly content merely laying on the couch dozing off with Lucy tucked to his side and slurping down the rest of the can of whipped cream. However she had taken issue with that. Natsu couldn't imagine why, but perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Plue ran off with her underwear and they were both naked in the middle of their living room.

Humans were so strange. Lucy hadn't cared she was naked while they were engaged in _other_ activities. Why she cared now was a mystery. She called him shameless, which he was, so there was no complaint from him there. He only found it hilarious when she threw his underwear back in his face as she tried to catch Plue with his shirt wrapped around her chest.

Of course Natsu hadn't let her catch the dog. His arms caught around her waist, lifting her into the air while he smiled into her neck and breathed in her scent. She wiggled and kicked her legs through the air, but Natsu held on tight and swirled her around until her legs accidentally kicked a lamp off the table. That earned him an elbow to the cheek, but he had picked it up without dropping her so it was deemed a victory in his book.

Natsu dropped Lucy into the bed, who complained half-heartedly about needing a shower. She curled against him when he slid under the covers with her, snapping the waistband of his boxers in some weird punishment for not letting her walk to the room. Natsu couldn't help it; he had just wanted to extend the period of time he got to hold onto her.

He grinned into the mass of golden hair trying to work its way into his mouth. Their limbs were tangled together, but Natsu felt a content laziness that made him want to stay right where he was lying. Heat pooled through his body as he observed Lucy partially obscured by the blanket, memories of their shared night together springing to his minds eye.

He felt warm.

No, odd.

He felt hot.

He grinned, thinking it was probably his imagination. She was draped in his shirt, much too large for her. It somehow managed to both slide off her shoulder and hitch up around her ribcage. That was certainly distracting enough. His eyes fastened to the creamy stripe of skin exposed to him, unable to stop from admiring her. Lucy really was incredible.

For once, he was glad he listened to that stupid Gray and his stupid advice. His heart was troubled over the future, but there was nothing he could do about it. That bridge was burnt the moment Lucy opened her mouth and told him she love him.

He closed his eyes, ignoring the odd licks of heat racing through his blood and remembered the conversation he had with Gray.

_After Gray had walked in on him and Lucy sprawled on the floor, Natsu had left with Gray for a few moments in the back room. The demon slayer looked angry still, so Natsu tensed in preparation for a fight. The ice maker just turned to him, eyes distant, a little cold, and with plenty of sadness._

"_So you and the new girl, huh Natsu?" Gray asked, his gaze turning past Natsu to the other room he left Lucy in, "Didn't think you had it in you."_

_Natsu felt like he had been hit in the face with a brick. Or a right hook from Erza. His entire head caught on fire in indication of his feelings far faster than he could hide it. Mocking amusement actually crossed Gray's somber face for the few seconds it took Natsu to pat himself out and he scowled at Gray, "It's not like that!"_

_Temper flared in Gray's eyes, Natsu not quite understanding why his non-relationship with Lucy would make his friend angry._

"_Cut the crap Natsu and pry your head outta your ass," Gray jabbed an icy finger into Natsu's chest. He felt it through the layers of bloody fabric, but neither men seemed to notice, "I've never seen you hold a woman like that much less let them sprawl all over you for something as simple as comfort."_

_If anyone asked, Natsu was __**not**__ in the middle of swallowing his own tongue. _

"_But she's—"_

"_A human?" Gray snarled in response, stepping into Natsu's face to growl in his face, "Does that really matter to you? I didn't realize you were so hung up on different species!"_

_Natsu blinked at Gray, his brain desperately trying to catch up to whatever was eating at him, "No, it's just that—"_

"_What?" Gray snapped, "She'll die before you because her life is shorter? Because you're a demon and she's human?"_

_He shoved Natsu hard in the chest, the demon snarling back at him and refusing to be budged. Gray didn't seem to mind and shoved back into his space, temper flying away from the man who was normally so cool under pressure._

"_Because __**I'm**__ a human and I'm still here while Juvia is dea—"_

_His dark eyes widened with the slip of his tongue and Natsu watched his expression close off with record speed. The fire drained from Natsu in response and his eyes followed his brooding friend, understanding for what Gray was finally trying to tell him clear on his face._

"_We don't know Juvia is dead, she's strong," Natsu said with even temperament._

"_We do know that," Gray muttered. He pressed a palm against his forehead, his face pale and he turned away from Natsu entirely. It was weird to see Gray like this, his shoulders stiff, a tremor running through them, "I was the one who sent her to Meredy – stupid, I thought if I did that __**she**__ would be the one who'd make it out."_

_Trying to protect her, Gray felt as if his actions had instead caused her death._

"_I wasted so much time," Natsu strained to catch his words, "So much time, because I'm a human and she's not."_

"_Just don't waste the time you have left with Lucy."_

Natsu's eyes darkened in the memory, his face an inch from hers as he observed her sleeping face. The thought had been swirling around his head for days now. His tongue sticking on the roof of his mouth every time he turned towards her large brown eyes with an attempt to say something – anything about it.

It wasn't like him to run away from any battle, especially not one of the heart. He fought with all of it, every ounce of his being and then a little extra. But there was something so disarming about Lucy's smile; he couldn't help but fall into puppy-like love every time she gave him one.

And he realized yes, he loved her. The human he lived with had crawled so deep into his heart that he couldn't imagine being without her. He wanted her as his Queen, as his heart, as his _everything_. Demons and Dragons were similar in a lot of ways, both in their need to hoard, and their desire to possess. Lucy was not an object, but she certainly was a treasure. One more precious than any Natsu had collected over his hundreds of years of life.

He would trade all the wealth in his collection for a single smile from Lucy.

END loved a human.

So when Lucy breathed those words to him. He asked her not to. The writing was on the wall for a long time, and Natsu was not an idiot. He was a centuries old dragon, and an even older demon on top of that. The tension between the two of them had been building ever since he first laid eyes on her. Awareness was one of those things between them that neither could ever ignore.

He didn't foresee this ending well for either of them. So for a razor second, he stood on that edge. Lucy standing in front of him, her words of love hanging in the air between them.

Should he refuse – break her heart and hurt them both?

Or should he accept – love her as she loved him, destroying themselves in the process?

_Don't waste the time left you have with her._

Gray's words floated to the surface of his mind in that moment, and his decision was made.

Destruction it was.

Whatever, if he was going to be hurt no matter what at the end of this, he was going to do it without any regrets. Besides, playing it safe had never been his style. He went big.

Natsu tipped over the knife's blade, his mouth capturing Lucy's in a kiss that had his heart racing and blood singing. She tasted sweet, like the weird canned, confectionary they had been playing with. But there was also the taste of vanilla and honey clinging to her lips, her natural taste coming through and enchanting him.

He was lost then.

Even now his lips still tingled, his body warmed and his breath hitched at the reminder of their activities. Now, all he wanted to do was breathe her in and never let go.

Not exactly the most realistic of hopes, but he was a dreamer.

He grunted then, a sharp spike of heat racing through him that was not because of his daydreaming. He closed his eyes and pressed a palm against his forehead, a touch of light-headedness making itself known. It passed after a moment, and Natsu blinked, shaking his head.

Weird.

His eyes dropped down to Lucy's quietly snoring figure. A wicked grin dragged over his face and he leaned in close to nuzzle her, reaching to wrap a lazy arm around her shoulders.

He stopped, his eyes fastening onto his right arm and stopping just before it would curl around her. What he saw there was an unexpected shock to his system and he twisted away from the sleeping woman to inspect himself with a critical eye.

Dark patterns were tattooing into his skin, an intricate pattern of swirls and flames. Demonic markings he hadn't seen for a very long time. A rush of confused emotion ran through him and he slid from the bed as quiet as he was able so he could sneak into Lucy's bathroom.

Weird.

_Weirdweirdweirdweirdweird._

He cracked the door and turned towards the mirror, freezing where he stood when he caught sight of his reflection.

"This is impossible," Natsu breathed, looking into the dark red eyes that stared back at him in the mirrors surface, "No way."

Tattoos curled across his body, dark brands of curse magic. Natsu stared at his reflection, black in his sclera and glowing crimson in his irises. He lifted his hands, watching as before his eyes blunt nails morphed into sharpened talons, his hands staining black to work up his forearms.

He was transforming? But how? Lucy had sealed away his magic, and his demonic form along with it. It left him in his weaker, human looking state. Either forms he didn't mind, but he didn't want his magic to spill out right now. Not with Lucy in the room next door. If this transformation was bottled up, Natsu didn't know what would happen.

Natsu's denial and confusion didn't make the change easy. He tried to force it backwards, the black in his eyes trying to bleed back into white. Taloned hands gripped the vanity, hot claws sinking into ceramic like it was play-doh before the entire thing cracked under his strength.

Uh oh.

He was losing it.

He hadn't seen this form in centuries. Even before he met Lucy, it had been subdued by Igneel's magic. Natsu thought it was lost to him forever! He wasn't quite sure how to control it.

He snarled in pain as the muscles in his back clenched and ripped under his attempt to keep his transformation back. He clawed through the cabinet, the wood smoking as he dropped to his knees. The tiled floor cracked under the impact of his weight, but he was blind to the damage he was causing. Pants filled the air and he dropped his head back, the ripping of flesh in his back made him smother a scream as wings forced themselves from his body.

There was a spurt of blood and this time he did scream as massive, leathery wings tried to stretch out in the cramped bathroom. But still he struggled to keep the power at bay, knowing if he let out the fire now, he could very well burn this building, and Lucy to a crisp.

He could handle this. It had been a while. But he could keep this power contained. Natsu had to.

But there was something different.

Something _wrong_.

There was more power in him than there had been before he met Lucy. More raw strength, more fire, more _everything_. It was like how he was before he met Igneel. Before that seal had been placed on him.

Lucy had unraveled both her magic, and somehow had undone Igneel's.

But _how_?

Igneel was the king of dragons. Mavis herself had to help cast the seal to bind his magic. Natsu as END fought the dragon many times and never had been able to break free of his seal or this entrapment.

Could he control this? Natsu didn't know. When he was END, he had never tried. Since meeting Igneel, he didn't have the full strength he had been created with. It was something that never bothered him before, but now proved to be a problem. Why try to learn how to control something when his power alone was powerful enough to lay waste to everything around it?

"C'mon Natsu, _breathe_," He growled through the pain. The sound was low and guttural, more animal than man and he bent over himself, wings pressing bloody streaks into the walls, "This is nothing. You've done this before!"

A light scrape across the door had his head whipping back, wild eyed to the door.

"Natsu?" Lucy's voice came from beyond the door, "Are you okay?"

Panic settled in his chest and he grabbed a hold of the doorknob before she could creak it open. He slammed the door shut, ripping it from her hand before she could pull it open. It earned him a noise of angry complaint that almost had him smiling before a splitting pain in his head had him doubling over in agony.

"Lucy don't come in here," he panted, grasping fistfuls of his hair. Horns began to sprout from his skull, pushing past skin and hair in slow, jerky motions. Natsu forced his breathing under control, his hand shaking on its grip over the doorknob.

He knew if he just let it go, this wouldn't hurt. The transformation would be painless and freeing. But he couldn't risk that. Not with Lucy so close by.

Not with his magic threatening to burst free and destroy everything. He could already see the paint on the walls bubbling, peeling up and falling in acrylic chunks around him.

"Natsu are you okay? Let me in here!" Lucy's voice challenged. She made to tug on the doorknob, and Natsu's heart froze in his chest when he heard her scream on the other side. He could smell the sizzle of a burn against tender skin, and his eyes went wide.

"Natsu! What the hell!" Lucy cried and he jerked towards the door, resting his hands against the wood instead of the metal knob, "What did you do that for?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Natsu stammered, his eyes going wide in panic. He hadn't realized his whole body was overheating, at least not enough to think about what touching a metal doorknob would do, "It was an acciden— "

He broke off with a shudder as the horns stopped their growth. The changes had stopped. _Finally_. Exhaustion sagged through him and his power bubbled back down to manageable levels. He wanted to ask Lucy how her hand was, but his hearing was growing fuzzy and his vision darkened around the corners. Enough for him to drop sideways in a dead faint.

He caught himself, just barely managing to stay upright. Black encircled red eyes, managing to look up in time to see the door swing open and Lucy standing there, the blanket wrapped around the door knob.

Registering the expression of horror on her face for a few seconds, Natsu's heart clenched before his body went slack and he passed out.

-::-

When he came to, he couldn't move.

Natsu frowned, his head bobbing up to see him wrapped in blankets and bandages on Lucy's bed. He blinked, noticing how sore everything was. Plue was curled up on his chest, his head buried into Natsu's neck and tickling him with his fur. He coughed and tried to move his arms, seeing that they were banded down to his sides.

"Lucy?" He called. His ears could pick up sounds in the bathroom, and realized she was in there cleaning the mess he had made. Natsu shifted with guilt as he picked up the sounds of her gasping and running over towards him. She filled his vision, a bright smile on her face and relief in her eyes.

"Natsu you're awake!" She exclaimed, her hands reaching around to his face. She shooed Plue off his chest. With impatience she physically moved his head around, mushing his cheeks together.

"Waffarryadoin'" Natsu stared at her as she dragged his head around in exaggerated circles. It was hard to speak with his lips mushed together, but Lucy seemed to translate him well enough.

"I'm checking to make sure all the stupid is gone from your system you moron!" Lucy scolded him, "Why didn't you tell me your demon form did something like that!"

Considering she was still shaking his head like a magic eight ball, Natsu was surprised he could focus on her question at all. What was she talking about? It took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. Old aches and pains asserted themselves as he tried to wiggle his body in the burrito she put him in. Each throb reminded him of why he was in pain. Oh right, his demon form had triggered somehow in an absolute clusterfuck of _not-fun-at-all_.

He glanced down at his hands, talons flexing. Natsu blinked in confusion and shifted enough for his wings to make themselves known under him.

"Well it isn't normally like this, so it was sorta a surprise for everyone involved," Natsu pouted at her, blackened eyes drawing down to her hands. Guilt stirred in his chest when he saw where she had grabbed the hot handle. It didn't look like a severe burn, but it probably had hurt. She didn't look angry about it anymore, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lucy gave him a reassuring smile. Her arms folded under her chest, giving him enough of a view to assure himself she was fine. Hating she had gotten burned, he managed to lift himself up without the aid of his arms and legs.

"You are handling this demon thing pretty well," Natsu's eyes squinted with suspicion on her, "Aside from tying me up – which I'm still pretty confused about."

"Well I knew you were a demon already, I was more upset about the fact you were covered in blood and trashed my bathroom," Lucy gave him a grave look, "We're going to have to get rid of the cereal in your room now."

He snorted in amusement and flashed her a toothy grin, "Nah, we'll just move it in here."

Lucy gave him an amused look and tugged at the bandages around him, "As for these, I called Levy while you were unconscious so I could talk to Gajeel about it. He said to wrap you like a mummy so you couldn't move your arms and legs. He said that would help?"

Irritation flooded through Natsu and he wiggled more forcefully. He was ignoring how Lucy blinked at him in surprise as he screeched his rage to the joining apartment wall. Levy and Gajeel were still at Ultear's shop to get the younger human training for Lumen Historie, however it made Natsu feel infinitely better to scream at something, "You shrapnel-studded-_Sonova BIT_— "

Lucy cut him off by clearing her throat.

"I take it he was just messing with me then?" Lucy asked. Her finger hooked around the bandage around his chest, keeping him still with just a single touch. His cheeks warmed and focused on her with his sharp gaze. He nodded, still grumpy, but no longer raging at the heavens. Lucy sighed, taking out a pair of safety scissors from the emptied first aid kit to snip at the bandages binding him.

"Yeah I figured as much," She said with a mischievous grin, her eyes glinting up at Natsu. His jaw dropped and he growled at her while she worked on freeing him, "Still it was fun to see your face when you tried to move, you looked like a worm. That's what you get for scaring me!"

He pouted at her, apology in his eyes, but rearing up to wrap his clawed hands lightly around her elbows.

"Tying me up while I'm unconscious – that's playing dirty Lucy," He growled, leaning forward with cautious movements to press his forehead against hers.

"That's rich coming from a demon!" Lucy exclaimed with a laugh, looking into his darkened eyes without fear.

His heart lurched with emotion and he reached up, sliding black talons across her cheek in a light caress. The tips were razor sharp, but he took care not to hurt her. She held still in his hold, not flinching away or moving. Lucy's eyes just closed, trust showing in the way her face went lax at the sharp blades of his claws caressing her tender skin.

Insecurity was not an emotion Natsu felt often, but when he did, it hit him hard.

"This really doesn't bother you?" He asked her, dark eyes searching her face for a trace of a lie, "Me looking like this?"

Lucy's eyes opened and met his, a small smile crawling across her face. She moved forward, the mattress shifting under her weight. Her legs came across to straddle his hips and she sat down. Natsu balanced her with a hand on her thigh. She was still wearing his shirt from the previous night. Red and with graphic orange flames printed in zig-zagging patterns over the worn cotton. His heart raced and mouth went dry at the feel of her against him.

His grip slowly tightened on her leg, but he forced his attention upwards at her. He never thought it would be so difficult for him to focus with her on top of him the way she was though.

_Breathe Natsu. Now is __**not**__ the time_. He internally scolded himself.

"Honestly?" Lucy asked, leaning over him and drawing her hands across his shoulders. He felt her fingertips grazing across the upward curve of his wings and a surprising jolt of electricity from their skin coming into contact caused them to flutter. Surprised, but not enough to focus on the odd sensation, his whole attention landed on the human.

"I thought seeing you like this would bother me," Lucy caressed his cheek. Her touch was light against his heated skin. He wondered how much of a monster he must have looked to her, "The change in you was scary – I wasn't expecting it at all."

Her gaze fell down somewhere near his shoulder, where his Fairy Tail emblem was still shining true, untouched by his demonic markings. She instinctively rubbed a thumb across the red ink in his skin, Natsu almost smiled. Her honesty stung, but it rang of the truth and he was grateful for her words.

"But you woke up," Lucy smiled at him, "And you were exactly the same as you were before."

He returned the smile, unable to stop himself from grinning back full force. Natsu's heart warmed, his hands sliding down the curve of her spine to rest his nose into the crook of her neck.

"So why would I care about the rest?" She asked quietly into his ear, her arms wrapping around his chest and stopping just over his wings.

They had hugged before, but never like this. Never so reassuring. He breathed in her scent with deep inhales, unable to help but fall a little more in love with the weird human.

Because really, what kind of human would be okay with their demonic boyfriend suddenly sprouting claws, horns, and wings?

Lucy.

Only Lucy.

He breathed out, drawing his power back into the core of his being. Like a hot flame dancing across his fingertips. He coaxed it into a ball, tucking away the swell of magic until it wrapped around itself into a little knot.

He breathed in, pushing the power back through his limbs like a stream. He let it swell and expand through him, becoming part of his lungs. The air he breathed in became fire, soothing the strange changes of his body.

Out. He contracted.

In. He expanded.

He kept breathing, using Lucy as an anchor in his arms. Until finally, with each breath, the physical changes to his body began to fade. It retreated back, diminishing inch by inch until he was back to normal.

She pulled away from him, suddenly looking sad, but tearful and happy.

Her fingers slid through his hair, fingertips pressing lightly into his tender scalp where his horns had been. Lucy's hands came to rest against his cheeks and she smiled at him, "See, you're still the same."

His hand looped around her wrist, a small chuckle coming from his chest. Fingers came to rest across her bandaged palm, but he gave her a shrewd look.

"And you're weird," Natsu stared at her.

Lucy gasped and swatted at his arm, her cheeks burning red as she scrambled to get off him. Natsu wheezed as her elbow dug into his sternum while she lost her balance and flopped across his lap.

"Ow! Lucy what the hell!"

"I was being sweet and romantic, and you called me weird! _Again_!"

"So you attack me!"

"Like you even felt it you big baby!"

Natsu hooked an arm around Lucy, lifting her body through the air and tossing her over his body so she belly flopped onto the bed. He crawled over her, his smile growing into a predatory smirk despite her exaggerated shrieks.

"Who's the baby now!" He crowed, his hands dancing across her sides as he tickled her. Lucy screamed, her knee nearly coming up to nail him under the chin. Swift, he managed to dodge it to let it sail past his head. Resuming his tickle torture, he tormenting her with a relentless attack. This continued until her laughter shrieked at him to stop.

Breathless with laughing, he laid down next to her as they both giggled themselves hoarse.

"Our bond is gone now so you can leave. I'm going to miss you," Lucy murmured once the swells of their laughter faded away. It left an air of silence hanging between them, her fingers curled into his back. He held still against her, an arm slung around her waist. There was a flicker of pain from where his wings were, but her fingers seemed to slide right past where they had been. Brushing fingertips deliberately avoided the more sensitive places.

Fingers trailed over the planes in his back, tracing the ridge of his spine down to his waist. They fluttered back along across his ribs, Natsu lying still to allow her to continue her exploration in peace. He turned his head towards the clock just enough to catch sight of the numbers, frowning over how late it was. Tomorrow Lucy went back to work. She said she was really eating through her vacation time with this odd end of the world stuff that was happening around them. Natsu didn't know what the importance of 'vacation time' was, but Lucy seemed worried about it.

Natsu didn't get humans. He really didn't.

Why did they need time for vacation?

Couldn't they just _go_ on vacations?

Lucy was tracing letters into his back, forming around the contours of muscle. He watched her as she stared at him with a melancholy look on her face.

He didn't like it.

Natsu sat up abruptly, an idea springing to his head.

Lucy gave him a wary look, confusion on her face. She was watching him sit back on his heels, his hands drifting behind his head to the leather cord tied around his neck. He looped it out from around his head and leaned over her. Slow and with deliberate movements, he crowded her back against the pillow.

"Do me a favor, alright?" Natsu asked her, sliding the cord around her neck. He bent down, breathing her scent in. His mouth grazed across her full lips, relishing in the soft hitch of breath that came from that tender throat. The way her mouth fell open against his was addicting, and for a second he was nearly overcome with the urge to indulge himself.

His hand smoothed down across her side, his other resting across her chest where the pendent was nestled in her cleavage. If she wasn't so distracted by his mouth, Natsu was certain she would be giving his hand a suspicious glare.

The weight of the pendant was familiar in his palm. Warmth resonated within it, responding to his touch and sinking into his soul. It was a gentle reminder of the good he had found in his life.

"This is _hope_ Lucy," He breathed against her, shifting his face so his nose grazed against a smooth cheek. His eyes shuttered halfway shut and he felt her trembling lips slide against his own, "Hope defies everything, so carry it with you always."

He pulled away from her, enjoying the dazed look on her face. Tanned hands caught hers and brought them up to her chest to settle over the polished stone.

"Never open it Lucy," He warned her, "Not unless you are at the end of your rope, and the _only_ thing you have left is hope."

Silence hung between them, brown eyes meeting his heavy gaze. Her hand lifted to draw the leather cord up to eyelevel, looking at the small stone he polished. It held one of his most precious treasures, and it was almost as well guarded as his scarf.

"Are you saying that you just gave me Pandora's box?" Lucy stared at it, looking a bit wary by his words, "How romantic."

Natsu's smile widened and he tapped a finger against the stone.

"Zeus was a jerk, and this is way cooler than some jar of dirt with humanities sin crammed in it," Natsu captured it in his fingers, rubbing his thumb over the smooth surface. It was a sign of his heart. That one moment he had that encompassed everything important to him. When he realized whom he loved and why he loved her. Whether or not she knew that small detail, this belonged to Lucy just as much as it belonged to him.

"Keep it closed and keep it safe Lucy," Natsu grinned at her, "I'm not sayin' goodbye."

Lucy's fingers curled around it, determination flashing in her eyes. A smile stretched over Natsu's face as the sadness left her face, filled instead with the firm fire he had grown to love.

"I won't say goodbye either."

"Good."

His eyes darted to the clock again. Precious minutes ticked by, the bathroom was still a wretched mess, and Natsu spent the entire day knocked unconscious. That was unacceptable in his book, and even though Lucy hadn't said anything Natsu knew she wanted to do something fun on her day before she had to return to work.

Not tend to some invalid demon that couldn't go to the bathroom without blowing up the sink.

Gray was _not_ going to find out about that.

Accident or not, the salty bastard wouldn't let him live it down.

Natsu had so much bouncing around in his head he thought his skull was going to split apart. His bond was broken with Lucy, which he always had faith she could accomplish. But the seal Igneel had put on him was significantly more powerful than anything Lucy should have been able to break through.

What was Lucy.

The question sprang to his head, for perhaps the hundredth time since he knew her—

—and decided it didn't matter.

Not right now.

Perhaps not ever.

Natsu hooked his hands around Lucy's hands and pulled her out of bed, his expression breaking out into a broad smile. The prisoner he held squeaked as she was dragged from the blankets and carried out to the bedroom floor.

"N-Natsu what're you doing! Are you okay to be moving?" Lucy's legs caught around the blanket and she almost fell over, "You had brand new appendages shoot out of parts of your body!"

Smile never fading, he straightened her up and fluffed her bangs out of her face. Silly human, every time she thought to get comfortable doing something, he would always be there to pull the carpet out from under her feet. Really, what was she expecting at this point – for him to remain content in bed while the rest of the evening passed them by?

"I'm fine, besides, we're going to enjoy the time we have together," Natsu said, firm decision in his voice, "We're going on a date, get dressed."

The shocked expression on Lucy's face was enough to make him drop his hands on his hips. He tilted his head at her, curious by her stammering. Humans had strange courting rituals to be certain, but he didn't think he had to explain the reasoning of it to her. After all she had been so excited to go on a date with Bora.

Not that Natsu found anything interesting about that date. Although he supposed the demon attack would have been cool if he had been able to get inside to beat it up.

"You want to go on a date," Lucy pointed at herself, "With me?"

He was almost insulted by her need for clarification.

"No, with Plue," He deadpanned. Turning towards the dresser, he opened up the first couple of drawers and threw out a mismatched pair of sweats and a tank top to Lucy, "Here, get dressed!"

Flailing arms just managed to snatch them from the air before they fell on the floor and got dirty. Lucy looked displeased by his selection though, "Natsu these are _pajamas_."

Duh.

Not immune to the fact Lucy could throw this back in his face, Natsu held his hand out to her, "Trust me?"

Her expression softened.

Natsu pretended not to notice when his heart did a really weird flip when her hand slid into his.

"Yeah."

He smiled at her.

"Then lets go on a date."

-::-

_**Thanks for your continued support everyone! It really encourages me to see people are interested in seeing this fic progress. The story is heading to the finish line quickly! I sorta pooted it out so we can see how that will go… haha…**_

_**You can thank Lonestorm for these 16 pages of fanfiction.**_


	13. Mug wha-

Burning rubble as far as the eye could see.

Excellent.

A man with long dark hair stepped forward, striding through the smoldering wreckage and sifted across broken cobblestones. He paid no mind to the screams and sobbing of the injured and dying fairies littered across the once homely streets of Magnolia.

Only when he felt a small tug at hem of his pants did he spare a look down in disgust. His lip curled at the sight of the white haired woman gripping onto his foot and trying to stop him from advancing towards the Fairy's palace.

He eyed the crack across her face and the battered black wings that folded behind her in awkward angles.

Ah.

Mirajane, the she-devil. The demoness that fancied herself a fairy.

Well, she would fall with the fairies she loved so much.

He shook her off with a ruthless kick under her chin, the woman sprawling backwards in a heap. Struggling, she fought to push herself upwards onto her elbows but a booted heel from one of the man's subordinates slammed back down on her chest. It kept her pinned down under his foot even as she tried to struggle for release.

"_Traitor_," the spotted man hissed in explosive fury. His lips pulled back in a snarl, more animal than man. He raised a hand to the fallen demoness, preparing to destroy her where she laid.

"Enough Jackal," The cutting voice of his commander stopped him. A rebellious growl erupted from the other demon but was smothered a second later by a vicious smile.

"Alright Mard Geer sir, let me just get her out of your way," Jackal kicked the woman in the ribs to clear her off the path. He took vicious glee in her cries and the snap of bone bending underneath his vicious blow.

Mard Geer didn't notice.

Instead he breezed by without a backwards glance, expression passive when they finally made it through into the castle courtyard. A low warning of 'don't play with your food' all the acknowledgement he gave Jackal and Mirajane.

The she demoness winced as she curled around herself, arm wrapped around bruised ribs.

"I'm sorry Erza," She apologized into the wind, "I couldn't stop them."

A weak smile lifted her lips as the she-devil rested her head on the broken path, "But this can't be the end can it? Demons and Fairies – we can all – live together… right?"

An impossible dream, but one Mirajane allowed herself to comfort her as she slipped into unconsciousness while the demons took the capitol of their home.

In the castle was another story.

Mard Geer and his lieutenants made their way into the castle, crushing anyone who tried to oppose them. The she-devil's siblings fell, exhausted from previous battles, as did the remaining members of Fairy Tail who had taken refuge inside the castle.

The demon General approached the fairy's throne, a cold smile sliding over his face.

He took his time, savoring his victory. Slow, his hand dragged across the embellished wood, somehow undamaged by the warring battles that had clashed around it. And why would it be damaged? This throne was enchanted with powerful magic.

The key of which was connected to many rivers of magic.

Mavis was smart, unlike her successor Erza. The red headed Titania didn't even know what she was sitting on. What the demons were actually fighting for. Mavis had known.

While yes, they wanted the fairies' realm and the dragons that lived within it squashed, they wanted something more.

The ability to freely travel between worlds.

It was an ability that had been locked to them for years. Only the weakest of their kind could travel between the realms and cause only mischief in the human world. That, and those that ruled them. Only the Kings and Queens of the races could travel between the gates. For whatever reason, pathetic humans were given the ability to travel as well. A gift wasted on an inferior species.

No matter.

It was all about to change.

Because now that power belonged to him.

Mard Geer dropped down into Titania's throne, his eyes gleaming with just the barest hints of joy.

"Now, it's time we get our Master back," Mard Geer purred.

-::-

If there was one thing Gajeel knew, it was how to recognize the sounds of things going from bad to worse.

Levy's horrified gasp was one of those things.

He didn't know when or how, but somehow along the way he had grown uncomfortably attached to the little human. Her small smiles and warning huffs of temper were somewhat endearing. Gajeel couldn't say he liked many people. In fact, 'like' was too high on the spectrum of emotions he experienced.

Tolerate was more like it.

He didn't tolerate most people. Natsu, just barely because he was part of his nest, loud mouthed brat that he was and Erza, because of the horrifying terror she could instill by just a single glance. His interactions with people were limited. He tolerated people and things because they were there, not because he wanted to.

But Levy.

She was different.

He sought her out.

Before he even realized it, he was teasing her when she got scared of the dark in the middle of the night. Growing somber when he realized her fears came from the secret terror she had of the shadow men that had attacked her and her friends the first night she met Natsu and Lucy.

And soon, he was admiring her of her quiet strength. Hiding her fears and worries to herself so not to alarm or concern Lucy. To protect her friends in the only way she knew how. Because she was human.

Completely human.

With no way to protect herself, she was playing an even more dangerous game than Lucy was. Because as weird as Blondie was, she still had magic in her. Wherever it came from, it was there.

But Levy?

What did she have but a talent for languages in books?

Her connection to them all was fragile and breakable, so all the more precious to Gajeel. She was soldiering on in a way that went unnoticed and forgotten.

But Gajeel noticed.

He wouldn't forget.

So when he heard her sharp gasp, he ran into the spare room of Ultear's shop, ripping down a bead of curtains when they got in his way and nearly tripped him up. They clattered to the ground in an exploding shower of beads and rattles. Glass marbles from the curtains rolled to opposite sides of the room and under hard to reach crevices.

Gajeel paid no mind to the mess he made. Instead his focus was drawn entirely on Levy. The iron dragon was impatient to the core when it came to the tiny human, even if under normal circumstances he could stand still for hours like the dark mountain of steel he was.

"What is it? What's the matter?" He growled, walking towards the human.

Slow, her small hand lifted towards the air, pointing at the space the portal had been.

He was relieved to see no distress on her face, just confusion. His eyes followed after her line of sight, frowning when he saw nothing there.

"What am I supposed to be lookin' at?" He grunted.

"Nothing."

Now it was his turned to look confused. His eyes glanced back at Levy and the lack of apparent danger surrounding her.

Large volumes decorated the floor around her feet, most went unnoticed due to the clutter of Ultear's strange spice shop. Her hands were waving through empty air, and Gajeel was trying to figure out what Levy had seen which he hadn't.

"Out with it shrimp, I tore down the time-witches' hippie curtain to get over here and she's gonna be piss—"

"The portal is gone," Levy cut him off.

Her eyes were wide and she turned fully towards Gajeel. Her mouth worked in soundless words, her eyes focused on the spot it had been in.

"It just closed without warning," Unease trickled across her face, enough to rub off on Gajeel. His eyes narrowed in understanding.

"Maybe that mean's Erza was strong enough the portals are workin' right again?" Gajeel grunted to keep her mind at ease. Levy didn't look convinced, and in truth neither was Gajeel. Unexpected changes at this point were only harbingers of bad signs to come. He didn't like being caught unaware, even if it looked like something good was happening.

Better to trust what you could see with your eyes.

"Maybe," Levy murmured. She bent down to collect a book to her chest. Most still remained scattered around her legs and she lowered herself to the floor. Eyes distant, she frowned towards Gajeel.

"I'm going to look into it," Levy said firmly, surprising the iron dragon with the determination in her voice, "All the knowledge of portals, magic, demons and hell – even Lumen Histoire are all second hand from oral tradition."

"It's good, but it's hardly reliable," Levy sank down completely, obscured by the walls of books around her.

Gajeel watched with fascination, as Levy seemed to disappear into her own thoughts, fueled by whatever commentary came from her mouth. He hardly understood a single word she said, but he was fascinated by the way her brain was operating. It was like her thought process ran away with her and she completely retreated into her mind.

Knowing that it was best not to interrupt her when she got like this, Gajeel made himself comfortable on the floor. Next to her, he remained sitting with his back against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. Levy seemed to forget he was even there.

That was fine.

Gajeel leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Levy was pretty incredible for a human.

Confidence switched across his lips, forming a tiny smile that went unnoticed by Levy.

Whatever answers she was looking for – no, what all of them were looking for, Levy was who would find them.

-::-

No matter what Natsu said, Lucy was not going to leave her house in her pajamas. Neither was Natsu for that matter either. Sure, she trusted him to take him on a date – whatever that meant for Natsu, but there was no way she was going to do it in bunny slippers and cotton shorts.

She forced him into a button up shirt, which baffled him. Insisting on it because if the end of the world was happening, at the very least Lucy wanted to be able to say she went on one successful date. Natsu humored her, even though he snapped off the top two buttons of the shirt around his neck, leaving enough room for his neck to breathe.

The tie was so far off the table, it came as no surprise to Lucy that the moment she turned her head away, he had slipped it off.

Ashes in his hand told him what happened to the article of clothing.

Which was a shame, because he looked really nice with a tie on.

It also proved as unnecessary when they were kicked out of the restaurant within minutes because Natsu set their table on fire. The movies were also out because they had already been kicked out of the theaters earlier in the month because Natsu didn't understand where the giant remote was and he wanted to change the channel. Clear beyond a shadow of a doubt now, Lucy was positive she was doomed to never have a peaceful date again.

Especially when a mugger approached her and Natsu with every intention of robbing them blind. Which ended in disappointment – aside from Natsu, who didn't understand the man was trying to steal from them.

The demon had just swatted him hard on the back, which jerked him face first into the side of a building. So there they were, standing in the sidewalk late at night with Natsu apologizing to the man in a blind panic. Apparently he wasn't used to his new strength and magic just yet, which made careless actions like that a potential hospital trip.

Holding his broken nose, the man just sprinted off swearing through a stream of blood over Natsu's monstrous strength.

"Aw man, I can't believe I did that" Natsu looked so sheepish and embarrassed, Lucy's heart went out for him. Or it would if the man hadn't been trying to do them harm.

"He seemed like such a nice guy."

A smile softened Lucy's face from where she inspected the worried knit of Natsu's brows and the way his fangs tugged at his bottom lip. She stepped in closer to him, drawing his attention from the man's retreating back to slide a hand into one of his. Warm fingers dragged across her palm and threaded through hers, lending her some warmth in the chilly night.

He really was sweet.

One of the things she admired about Natsu was how soft hearted he could be. Fierce one moment, with furious passion and a will to rage on the next, Natsu experienced it all. Seeing the good in others came as natural to him as breathing. Lucy liked that about him, how he never thought anyone was taking advantage of him.

He had faith in the goodness of others.

It was almost a shame she had to burst his bubble, but he looked really worried about the guy.

Reaching out, she pinched his cheeks together, drawing a curious and mushed look from the demon.

"Natsu he was trying to steal from us," she explained with a wry smile, "I think you can get away with smacking this one into a wall with a guilt-free conscious."

Fascinated by the way he stilled, Lucy watched as the gears began to align in Natsu's head. Realization dawned slow in his eyes and she could almost see the demon's hot headed fuse beginning to burn away.

She counted backwards in her head, making sure to tug onto his hand to insure he wasn't going to run off on her.

_Three—_

_Two—_

_One—_

"That bastard!" Natsu screeched, predictability bouncing off of him in a wave. By the way he flailed, Lucy could see rows of sharp teeth gleaming against the streetlight. Fire burned at the back of his throat and licked at his mouth, "I'm going to really go grind his face against a wall!"

Lucy tugged him back by his scarf before he could hunt the man down and get his revenge. He looked over his shoulder at her, eyes dark and curious in the dim light. She watched the steady pulse of a coal-like glow burn from behind his bared teeth.

"My ideas for a date have failed so far," Lucy sighed in resignation, "So why don't we do what you had in mind"

She cut him off before he could get too excited, "–minus the pajamas."

Waving off her comment, Natsu just grinned wider and dragged her along with him to head back towards her place. Instead of heading towards their floor though, he veered past the complex and around the back. They crossed a street and soon found themselves in a place Lucy had never been before.

The park.

It was a simple enough location but Lucy hadn't visited it. Between work and putting out the odd fire – both literal and figurative, Lucy hadn't had a chance to explore the immediate area around the apartment.

However by the way Natsu navigated around swings and an odd dinosaur-shaped slide, Lucy realized he spent a lot of time in the park. He steered her away from a pothole near the water fountain. He led her around the knots of roots that peeked underground from trees.

All thoughts of the mugger were vanished as he led her towards an area completely incased in shadows. If she hadn't known it was Natsu, she would have suspected he found a dark, secluded area on purpose. But knowing him, she followed without complaint. He sat her down between two large oaks, his body coming down to settle on a gnarled root that lifted out of the soil.

She studied the relaxed way his body took up space. He was comfortable with their location. He must have come here often when she was at work.

"The sky in your world is different than the one in mine," Natsu admitted, his eyes lifting overhead. Lucy felt his shoulder coming to brush against hers. She immediately felt his warmth soaking into her skin and her body relaxed into his.

"Or it could be the same," he conceded with a confused, grumpy look that left Lucy smirking, "You guys have so much light and fog here, I can barely see the stars."

"This place is the clearest I've been able to find," Natsu pointed upwards, his tongue sticking out a bit, "I think that one is Polaris. We have that one in my world."

"We call it the North star here, but it also shares the same name."

"Neat!"

They lapsed like that in silence for a while. Natsu would occasionally point out a star, revealing he really knew very little about stargazing. It seemed the only ones he actually knew were the directional stars, but had secretly picked up on the fact _she_ enjoyed stargazing.

So while Natsu made up the names of stars to see if she could tell if he was calling a fake or not, Lucy found herself really enjoying herself. She laughed and made up stories about the stars and the constellations, grinning wide as she enthralled him with new tales about the stars he had never heard before.

All of them were made up of course and differed widely from the actual accounts of the zodiac. But they had fun together talking about the adventures that the stars had gone on, make believe as it was.

Happy, she felt his hand slide into hers, his thumb brushing against her skin. Her heart jumped in her chest, fingers twining into his. Her spare hand lifted to the odd new addition to her neck, hooking her fingers around the strong cord. It was a strange choice in jewelry, but the little piece of obsidian felt warm under her fingers. What did she expect from something Natsu created.

She wondered, not for the first time – what could be inside it.

_Hope_, Natsu had said.

She would just have to believe him.

Stealing a glance at Natsu, she could see the strong line of his jaw tilted up towards the sky. A cast of silvery light glowed across the errant bangs that fell in his face and highlighted across the tips of his hair.

"Hey Natsu," she murmured, catching his attention. Dark eyes found hers and when he looked at her, seemed to burn with an inner light. A thrill of excitement slid across her spine and she felt tension uncoil from around her shoulders.

A calloused hand dragged across her cheek, the warm palm pressing against her skin. Tilting her head back to look over his face, she caught the familiar scent of smoldering wood and cinnamon. Both were clear signs of something so Natsu.

"Yeah Lucy?" He asked her, his forehead pressing into hers. His other hand came around to squeeze lightly at her hand.

She squeezed his hand back.

"Thank you," she breathed.

His smile glittered as bright as the stars hanging overhead. Pride gleamed in the depths of his eyes, no doubt self-satisfied that he had managed to plan a perfect date for Lucy. Competitive to the core of his nature, Lucy knew he wanted her to have fun on their little impromptu date.

It wasn't just that though. Lucy knew just by looking at him that he wanted her to be happy.

While he hadn't said he loved her, Lucy didn't need to hear the words to know they were true.

He would give up almost anything for her happiness.

With their hands entwined, Lucy leaned up to close the space left between her and Natsu's lips. His clever mouth slanted over hers, pressing a soft but eager kiss across her cheek, lips gliding into hers.

"You're welcome," He murmured, soft joy in his voice.

"Do you have any more stories you want to tell?" He asked her, his chin lifting up towards the night sky.

Lucy shook her head. There was only one story she wanted to tell now. And she prayed she was allowed to write the ending.

-::-

There you go everyone. Your chapter of WaW!


	14. Devil Woman

**Alright, this chapter is dedicated to my on-the-side waifu brokenangelwings83. It was her birthday! So I wrote this for her! Everyone say happy birthday~ **

-::-

There were not many things Natsu feared. In fact, if anyone were to ask him what he was most afraid of, he would have only three answers at the ready. Erza, Vehicles, and the Titania. He was ignoring the fact that two of those were the same because the red headed fairy was frightening enough to merit mention twice. But now, one of those slots had been replaced by something even more frightening.

A certain human.

"Natsu."

No, he wouldn't look.

"Natsu," A soft touch graced the back of his neck, brushing light fingers across the thick scar across his throat. It was sensitive to the touch, and sent sparks racing down his spine. A simple caress. But it was one powerful enough to bring a demon king to his knees. In seconds.

Dipping the tip of a finger down into the collar of his shirt drew a sharp inhale. It was impossible to ignore and his assailant knew it. It was at Lucy's soft giggle did he know he had lost. Sighing, he drew his eyes up to her and faced his fate with no small amount of reluctance. It wasn't like he could say no to her.

Her hand slid across the expanse of his shoulders. The press of fingers sinking into the tense muscles of his back caused him to grind back a low growl. A distracting hip pressed into the hollow of his waist. He was man enough to admit he sucked in a tiny, sharp breath. Praying Lucy didn't hear it, his hopes were dashed when he caught the sound of her giggle fill the room.

No luck at all.

The worst thing about these 'innocent' touches, was that Lucy knew precisely what she was doing to him. Every touch and caress made heat stir in his blood. A slow, ribbon of tension flexed in his belly. Slow burned the flame she coaxed to life.

"What do you want from me devil-woman?" He whined at her, finally turning to look fully at her. But he already knew what her hear craved. The one thing Natsu had no desire to give her.

Lucy's lips were curved into a mischievous smile; proof enough to show how much she was enjoying taunting him. He should have known she would be a tease. In truth he was more surprised at her boldness.

There was something new between him and Lucy. Ever since the day she told him she loved him, they were trapped in a holding pattern. It wasn't even a bad holding pattern though, which was what was most frustrating about it. It was as if their friendship was unchanged. Nothing changed, but at the same time –

—_Nothing changed._

Which was more than likely Natsu's fault, since he hadn't told her something important.

He loved her.

Words like that were difficult for him to say. He was a man of action, preferring to show everything he felt. Words were insufficient. They could be manipulated to make the vilest lie sound like the sweetest truth. Even words spoken straight from the heart had messages in them known only to the person speaking them.

But when he had Lucy's lips against his that was when he knew.

Actions spoke to him so plainly. There was nothing anyone could hide, no matter how skilled.

Under his hands he felt the tremble of Lucy's body as they moved together. The prickle of heat under his palm when creamy skin flushed rosy and warm. The trust and love that shone in her eyes when he picked her up. All of them told a story, the longest and most beautiful one he had ever heard.

Without a single word being spoken.

Still, Lucy loved words.

Perhaps she had needed to hear it?

So he gave her his little creation. Perhaps referring to it as Pandora's box was a bit dramatic, but it had seemed to fit at the time. Besides he liked the flair. In truth, it did hold hope. All of Natsu's.

It soothed over the hurt lingering in the back of Lucy's eyes. She seemed to understand him more than before, and he let his mind rest easy. After the date, he had brushed his lips across her forehead, soothing his warm mouth under her bangs before they both collapsed into bed. All was well, and their relationship, while the same, had a new layer over it. It was charged with attraction and gentle touches. Soft caresses that reminded the other they were still there, and the twining of fingers at night under the sheets.

Since their passionate night, they hadn't done anything like that again. Not for lack of interest, _especially not on Natsu's part_, because he was definitely eager for another go. The timing wasn't right. While he was a demon, that didn't mean he was inclined to jump her bones the instant she batted her eyes at him.

Most of the time.

Lucy had woken up late to work, hindered by a grabby Natsu early that morning, who had not wanted to relinquish his hold on her. He didn't have to 'work' – at least not in the conventional way Lucy did. He was centuries old and had amassed a massive hoard he accessed using similar fairy magic Erza possessed.

When he had mumbled that to Lucy, the human gave him an affronted look, a light peck that woke him up a little, and a claim that she had to go. It wasn't the first time Lucy had denied his money. If it was to buy food and repairs, she didn't seem to mind. But other necessities she liked to provide for herself.

She was an independent force of nature, Natsu knew better than to push the point when there was no chance of victory so he tamely went back to sleep as she rushed around to get ready for work.

Around lunchtime she stumbled back to the apartment She looked distracted, but before Natsu could question her what was wrong, she was running back to work shouting something about not eating the pantry until she came back. An unrealistic demand, so he settled on cleaning out just the refrigerator instead.

When she came back, the request she had for him – the one he was trying so hard to ignore, was burning at her tongue. She was relentless in trying to get his attention though, and Natsu couldn't deny her this for long.

Her hand drifted into his hair, nails scrapingagainst his scalp. Clever fingers stroked cool paths until his traitorous body was sagging in relaxed delight. Why wasn't he doing everything this goddess demanded of him again?

"It's time for you to meet my father."

Oh.

Right.

That was why.

"It's tradition Natsu, c'mon."

Make that four things Natsu was terrified of. Meeting Lucy's father. From what he managed to gather about the man, he was even more imposing than END at the height of his power trip. His gaze lifted to Lucy's, sensing her reasons for wanting to visit the father she rarely mentioned were more complicated than for some silly human tradition.

"Why?" He asked.

Taking a few seconds to relish the sight of her cheeks puffing out, he waited for her to slide into the couch and drop her legs on his lap. It was their designated spot and he tolerated being her footrest with an amused smile. Waiting only long enough for her to get settled, he continued, "Why now all of a sudden?"

Lifting a finger before she could speak, he brushed a stripe across her cheek and pinched her lips together. The furious sound of indignation that escaped the corners of her mouth forced him to choke on a cackle. Otherwise he would have been choking on Lucy's foot lodging itself into the back of his throat.

"The truth, I can smell when you're lying," Natsu drawled.

Lucy's eyes went wide in shock at this new bit of information and she tugged his hand from her mouth.

"Really?" She exclaimed.

"No. But you _totally_ would have believed me," he grinned. Lucy flicked his forehead in retaliation, giving him a sour pout he found too adorable.

Natsu knew he was pushing his luck but he was never the type to give up once he picked up on loose ends that didn't fit right. Lucy was being deliberate in her evasiveness. It wasn't like her to withhold stuff from him, he wasn't sure he liked it. Still, he didn't push her for more information than he had already.

Whenever he liked to hold back, she never forced him to talk. She gave him encouraging nudges until he gathered enough courage to tell her what was on his mind. In this case, he knew the same would happen.

Sure enough after a few stubborn moments passed, she seemed to sag against his shoulder. Happy her hand had not stopped its gentle caress through his hair, he leaned into her touch. Legs twisted into his, distracting him long enough he forgot what he asked her. He simply enjoyed the feel of her pressing against him.

"You know it could pay for you to be a little less observant and just go along with one of my mad ploys," Lucy chided, "I go along with yours."

"I never give you the chance to refuse," He said with an air of smugness. He supported a smirk he knew Lucy wanted to slap off his face. She was so expressive in her murderous thoughts.

His smirk widened.

In one smooth motion he surged forward, hooking his arms around her. He lifted her legs by bouncing up a knee, flipping his prisoner sideways. Her legs kicked out at the side, but he just laughed his victory when it just helped slide her into his arms so she was now laying face down against his chest.

"That, and you just haul me over your shoulder like a brute," Natsu felt Lucy growl around a mouthful of his shirt.

A scoff.

"That's because you run away," Natsu's smile caught fire. He dragged her unresisting body up across him so her chin was curled behind his neck. He leaned forward to press his mouth into her shoulder, "I'm a dragon – I have to hunt you down."

His chest swelled with pride as he felt Lucy's hand connect over his heart.

"Not like I was planning on running very far anyway," her head lifted to give him a positively shining smile.

He felt something like his heart melting through the spaces in his ribcage in response. Advice from one of the Strauss siblings, Elfman, rang through his head.

_Heart melting is manly!_

It sure was.

Distantly, he hoped the Strauss siblings were all okay before he directed his attention back fully to Lucy. Her cheeks were flushed and eyes were wide, as if she just realized what she said. Heat filled the air between them, her face almost glowing with embarrassment. There was a shift in the tension between them, his gaze flicking into the honeyed depths of her wide eyes.

"That so cheesy," Natsu grinned at her.

Fascinated, he watched the red flush that only covered rosy cheeks, spread like wildfire over her entire face.

"It was sweet!" She protested hotly.

"Lame."

"It was not—" whatever protests she had, were silenced by Natsu's hand cradling the back of her head. A soft _'oh'_ escaped her lips the second before he pulled her in. His kissed her, his mouth moving against hers in gentle movements. Smiling when he felt Lucy grow lax against him, her hand drawing around his neck, he took his time.

Before when he kissed her, it had been hurried, tinged with a charged desperation. It was as if he were afraid he couldn't have enough of her – that they would run out of time. But now he had her in his arms and he was not inclined to let her go for any reason.

Now he took his time.

Against his mouth, her lips were soft. They felt like silk against his heated skin, his tongue swiping across her lower lip for a taste. A tremble shuddered along her spine so he smoothed a warm hand across her back to soothe the tremors. His fangs captured across the moist lip, scraping into her flesh. Sharp like a razor's edge, but only grazing contract to keep from nicking her.

She tasted like berries because of her lip balm, with hints of her natural flavor of vanilla buried underneath. It was tinged with something floral and something so light he couldn't put a name to it. Like a thin wafer cookie, crisping in the oven.

As fun as it was to continue down this path though, he couldn't afford to lose himself in Lucy's drugging kisses. And he knew how dangerous those kisses of hers could be. He remembered vividly how a single kiss from Lucy could fire him up.

Literally.

He breathed fire.

Slowly he pulled away, his calloused hand tracing across her cheek to cup the side of her neck.

"Why do you want to see your father now all of a sudden?" He asked again, refusing to be distracted by her sorcery any longer. Sharp eyes watched Lucy's tongue peek between full lips and disappear before Natsu's greedy eyes. A sigh of disappointment puffed out against his cheek, melting Natsu's insides into goo. Really, the amount of power this mortal held over him was truly unfair.

What was he saying about not being distracted by her sorcery?

Lies.

He sat upon a throne of lies.

"Your dad," he prompted, tapping a hand against her hip. The clever, pink tongue made a new appearance to blow a raspberry at him.

Lucy's head dipped back into his neck.

"Can't we just go back to making out? I really liked that?"

He barked out a laugh at the reluctant grumble but otherwise held silent. He would not be distracted or lured in by her sweet words again.

….Although if she kept moving her lips against his collarbone like that…

_Down boy._

Failing that, he at least had what was building up to be an unpleasant conversation about her father to distract him. Having only known Igneel as a father figure, Natsu couldn't say he had many issues with the old dragon. Aside from the fact Igneel had secrets – hundreds of them all kept from Natsu, they still had an excellent relationship with one another. As good as one between a dragon and demon could be all things considered.

Lucy's relationship with her old man was shaping up as something a touch more complicated than Natsu was equipped to deal with.

Lucy twisted her body, causing Natsu to wiggle towards the side of the couch. It was enough for her to curl between the backrest and him. Then her head nestled into the crook of his open arm and chest.

"My relationship with my dad has always been a little strained," Lucy started, "Ever since my mom passed away – he became harder to talk to."

Natsu turned his head so his chin slid into golden hair. His attention was captivated, because no matter how openly Lucy wore her heart on her sleeve, finding out new things about her was a fascinating adventure. No matter the consequence.

Twirling tan fingers in a silky lock of hair, Natsu curled it in his hand and released the bouncy strands. His fingers steamed a little as he twisted them around, but not enough to burn her hair. Catching a new lock, he repeated the process, slowly moving warm fingers through her hair.

Lucy didn't seem to mind, relaxing into his warm touches. It seemed like whatever was holding her back seemed to be loosening its hold on her under his gentle curling. Fingers bunched into the fabric of his shirt and tugged.

"He's helped me out some financially, since we've gone through a few burning buildings as of late," She hoked, "I guess he's trying to make up for how he treated me when I was younger."

Her eyes lost some of that sparkle he was so fond of, and a touch of anger clouded his emotions on behalf of her. He said nothing though, keeping his face neutral. Families were a tricky subject for everyone, and he really had no room to talk on the matters of fathers. Lucy still loved hers quite dearly too – that was why the memory of his apparent abuse stung so deep. He said nothing and waited for her to continue.

"I've been paying him back, or rather – " her gaze snuck up to Natsu's face, " – You have."

An unrepentant smirk decorated his face.

"I don't like being indebted to him," Lucy sighed, "I left that house to gain my independence – not be trapped in the confines of a life I never wanted."

A bolt of shock ran through Natsu at her words.

"You ran away?" Natsu asked, fitting the pieces together. Had her home life been so bad, Lucy reached the point of desperation to make a move like that? She was normally so calculated in her risk taking. He frowned. She must have been pushed too far.

At Lucy's confirming nod, Natsu felt a swell of emotion build in his chest. Pride that Lucy would take control of her life, Awe she succeeded in building a happy home for herself –

and sadness she had to do it alone.

"So you're right," Lucy groaned and hid her face in her hands, "I don't really care what my dad has to say about you Natsu. Our relationship is better than it has been in the past, but sometimes he still forgets I'm not a piece in his chess game any longer."

Natsu looked at Lucy, a smile curling over his face.

"I doubt anyone could ever even think about using you," He laughed. Proud at the small giggle he heard escape Lucy, Natsu allowed himself to relax.

"That brings me to why we're going to see my dad though," Lucy sighed, "We've had so many new things happen to us, but we still have no idea how to really control my magic or where it comes from!"

Apprehension ran down Natsu's spine, his eyes sharpening on the woman pressed against him.

"If I have to, I want to be able to fight with you," Lucy answered his unspoken question. He didn't know how she knew what he was planning on asking, but it seemed she had gotten better at reading his expressions – much to his amusement, and eternal frustration.

This time her hand snuck up to pinch his lips together when she saw he was getting ready to open his mouth. More frustration, especially as he wasn't sure what he was going to say.

Lucy wasn't a fighter. She had no combat training at all. But if there was one thing that had become apparent over the time they had spent together, it was that Lucy was a member of Fairy Tail through and through. Despite the lack of an emblem, he was sure she was one of them. Not Lucy Heartfilia, but Lucy of Fairy Tail.

He couldn't help but smile.

Even though Lucy was pinching his lips together in an aggravating show of revenge on her part. She was even smirking.

"One step at a time Natsu," Lucy chided, a superior grin on her face. Natsu rolled his eyes at her showboating, "The first step in understanding my magic is knowing where it came from. As much as I hate asking my dad for help, he's the only one who owns a full record of my family's genealogy."

Geneal— wha—

Natsu blinked, shifting them both so they were sitting upright on the couch now. It sorta made sense, and proved Lucy had given this a considerable amount of thought. Of course she did, _Natsu_ was the impulsive one. He tugged at her wrist to relinquish his lips. She did so without question.

"How long have you been planning this?" Natsu asked, twisting them so they were sitting across from one another.

"Since Levy's mom sprang the Lumen Histoire thing on her," She admitted. Her thoughts had been running in circles for a long time, Natsu could tell. But other issues had risen to the surface and distracted them. Their own tumultuous relationship being one of the many distracting factors.

"I was thinking maybe we could find something about me in my family records," Lucy smiled.

But Natsu raked a hand through his hair, looking both pleased but confused. It was a good idea in theory, but from what he gathered about the humans in this time, their idea of record keeping was spotty at best. Photo albums and weird family trees drawn by three year olds with 'mommy' and 'daddy' written at the top in crayon.

"Luce, I don't want to burst your bubble or nothin' – but humans don't exactly have giant ancestry lines documented over volumes," Natsu blinked, "I don't think we're going to find anything in your Great Aunt Sally's cookbook."

A nervous smile flitted across her face.

A beat.

Another one.

It was then, in the silence that Natsu realized there was something else about Lucy Heartfilia he didn't know about. Natsu's suspicion deepened, but a question died on his lips as he watched his nervously shifting girlfriend.

"Well, about that," she tried unsuccessfully for a flippant air, "My family is a little strange."

-::-

'Strange' for Lucy turned out to be mind-blowing for Natsu.

They stood out on the edge of the Heartfilia estate, looking out at rolling mountain and expansive property lines. Land stretched out further than Natsu's impressive vision could detect, and he had an idea that it all belonged to Lucy's family.

"Everything the light touches is your kingdom," He quoted in awe. Lucy choked on a snort of laughter.

"Who let you into the Disney movies Mufasa?" Lucy asked, a shrewd smile on her face.

"That movie really messed me up, I can't believe mortals show that to their children," Natsu shuddered in horror. His eyes narrowed. Having seen his own father killed, Natsu reacted very strongly to the little lion cub. Strongly being, he set one of Lucy's prized throws on fire and ate a metric ton of ice cream straight from the tub, "What is this 'Disney' guy's fascination with killing parents?"

Lucy shrugged.

Humans were terrifying.

Still, he shrugged, a little embarrassed to admit he burned one of the fluffy afghan things to ashes on accident. Lucy still hadn't noticed its disappearance.

"It was either Disney or Family Feud, and I can't watch game shows anymore without wanting to punch a hole through the screen," Natsu grumbled.

Day time television was awful.

Although most of the time he was out in the park training. Most people thought he was a street performer, which was fine by him. Especially when Gajeel accompanied him for training, although his lack of presence was notably marked since he was still at Ultear's shop with Levy.

"Fa-family Feud?" Lucy giggled at him.

Natsu pouted but when Lucy's hand slipped into his and gave a gentle squeeze, his ire drained away. Her fingers laced with his and the rest of his grumbles died down.

"Yeah well, it's boring when you're not around," He muttered, walking towards the property lines and trying to ignore the flush on his cheeks.

"By the way," He asked sharply, his head turning towards the smiling human, "Why didn't tell me you were basically human royalty?"

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise and she actually laughed. Natsu grumbled anew, lower lip jutting out in a pout. But Lucy was actually doubled over in such laughter he couldn't help but gawk at her instead. A reluctant smile drew over his face and he endured her giggles.

Lucy had been very nervous about this trip after all.

If she smiled, it was worth it.

"I'm sorry," She laughed, tears stinging at her eyes, "Sometimes I forget you're not from around these parts! The name Heartfilia is usually a dead give away, which is why I don't use it very often!"

She tugged him forward, looking a bit braver than she had before now that laughter had loosened the tension that had been settling over her face.

"I didn't mean to hide that fact about myself from you," She admitted, "It just wasn't important."

Natsu frowned and he walked stride with stride with her. His hand tugged hers as he walked into what had once been Lucy's childhood home.

"Don't say that Luce," He glanced at her, "_Everything_ about you is important."

He flashed her a wide smile and turned back, planting his feet into the ground and letting loose an excited roar. He missed the surprised look on the human's face as he took in a deep breath of air.

"Alright! Get ready Jude Heartfilia! We're coming to say hi!" Natsu bellowed, snagging Lucy's hand. He flashed her a wide grin and raced down the first of many hills.

"Lets go find out who you are Lucy!"

-::-

_**Alright we're getting to the end of the fic. Stay tuned guys, we're almost there! Also you should know after this chapter is posted, I'm changing my penname on from ShotsofSunshine to match my tumblr name 'Mslead.'**_

_**I don't typically write much in the authors notes, but I would like to show my appreciation to everyone who shows an interest in this story. You guys are incredible and I couldn't write this without you. Thank you so much for your support.**_


	15. The Shovel Talk

Reams of scrolls were tossed to the polished floor of the fairy's palace. From upon his usurped throne, Mard Geer reviewed the sacred knowledge Erza had collected from centuries of careful documenting. Her records were thorough, from annual crop records to irrigation treatments.

It was evident Titania was focused on being a good leader for her people.

Pathetic.

He was not fooled by the fairy's pandering. Let the woman pretend to be on the side of heroes when in truth she sided with demons and traitors.

He searched through the papers, not sure what he was looking for but knowing whatever information the Titania had kept stored was well worth the trouble of finding it if she went through such pains to protect it. She had fallen under his blade, trying to keep him from advancing on the castle. At the time Mard Geer had simply believed it to be nothing more than fairy arrogance and the stubbornness they persisted on displaying even when it was impossible for them to win.

She hadn't known about the power her throne held. She hadn't even known of Mard Geer's true intentions despite their many clashes. So why bother protecting an empty shell of a building? And she had not been alone. The whole guild had shored up on the palace grounds, fae of all kinds had joined the fight. Even those who had no gift for combat decided to fight with Titania.

Of course it resulted in a massacre.

Still, it was an eye opening one.

What did Titania have that was worth sacrificing the lives of her people over in a meaningless fight? Mard Geer lifted another book, his fingers traced over the cover. It was a plain one, but just as powerful as every other book the fae handled before. There was nothing special about the plain thing. It was worn and weathered, the leather torn in places from being well used. Lovingly mended in places, the book had seen a lot of attention compared to the gilded and jewels volumes filling most of the space.

A most curious relic, one which deserved a more careful perusal.

"Jackal," He called out for his scout, sweeping back towards the throne and sinking down onto the polished wood. Kicking one leg over the other, he opened the book and balanced it on his knee to begin reading.

The man stretched out luxuriously on his stolen throne, acting as if he claimed the fairy's kingly title of _Oberon_ himself. Another pathetic soul who had been so close to falling forever into the darkness, deep under Mard Geer's reaching control.

Jellal, the King of the Fairies. Married to Titania, but stripped of both his title and honor upon his fall.

Another victory in Mard Geer's column. While it did him no benefit to gloat over bringing his enemies harm, he did believe it was a fine piece of work to have destroyed the Fairy King so utterly. It was a blow they had never quite recovered from.

Still, Obreon had banished himself from the side of his loving Titania out of shame and horror his actions had wrought upon his realm. Leaving behind only his queen's broken heart and the tattered remains of his wings.

Their pain was always worth the extra time it required he invest.

"You're looking mighty comfortable on that seat boss," Jackal's crooning voice reached Mard Geer's ears, but he did not lift his gaze to acknowledge him, "Care to let some of us peons have a seat?"

"No," He replied without looking up. Waiting a few seconds to get under Jackal's explosive skin, he drew his eyes up from the oddly scripted text.

"I require you to go to the human world. It's time we collect our Master – he has been frolicking with the fairies for too long. It is time for him to come home and learn what is proper for a demon of his standing," Mard Geer drew out a small scroll from an elegantly embroidered pocket on his cloak.

"This is the location I have gathered from the Carrion Crawler we sent to investigate. The minor demons located in the human world reported its host was sent to a hospital brain dead, which means the demon was more than likely defeated," He passed the scroll over to Jackal by the red ribbon tied around its middle.

"This was the place it reported it was going to visit before we lost contact with it?" Jackal grunted, slicing open the ribbon with a blackened claw. It fell in tatters to the floor, but exploded into dust before it ever touched the polished tiles.

"Correct," Mard Geer intoned, "It is a hovel under the name of 'Lucy Heartfilia' – if you cannot find them at their residence, use whatever resources you have available to you to track down and destroy her."

A slow smirk flashed over Jackal's face and he grinned widely, "You mean I can make things get _explosive_?"

"I believe I said to use whatever you deem necessary," Mard Geer responded, a touch of impatience coloring his voice, "Our Master has always had a hair trigger temper. It could be he has become fond of this girl. Use her, destroy her, but keep her alive. We want to have one last bargaining chip against Master End if things do not go as planned."

"That sounds real good and all," Jackal scowled, his fist clenching around the scroll as it began to smoke in his hand, "But you're forgetting the part _where he kicks my ass._ I'm not looking forward to that."

It was as if a chill had descended over the room. Jackal stiffened, his eyes growing wide and his breathing going shallow from the aura of cold calculation that glimmered around Mard Geer.

He didn't do anger.

But whatever it was Mard Geer felt when those under him had the poor judgment to question him, it scared Jackal within an inch of his life.

"I just mean, I don't know how you expect me to bring him in – even sealed like he is, every time I throw down with the Master on the field, he completely destroys me by cheating," Jackal snarled.

Dragon magic had definitely not been something they could have predicted. Jackal hated it too. It made Natsu insufferably smug every time he swallowed one of Jackal's explosive's whole, and then used that energy to grind his face into the dirt.

Mard Geer seemed to mollify, as if the reminder of Jackal being brutally whipped was enough to bring him comfort. He lifted a hand a pointed across the room, directing his scout's eyes over to the slim, mahogany box balanced on the bookshelf he had been scouring.

"I found that in Mavis' vault when I was investigating."

A creak from the boxes polished lid filled the room, and Jackal made a confused noise. A black claw dipped into the box and withdrew what appeared like a silver bracelet.

"Thanks for the jewelry, but uh – you shouldn't have," Jackal scowled at the dainty looking metal.

Finding that Jackal was testing his patience, Mard Geer snapped the book closed he was reading through and used it to point at Jackal. It was clear he had pulled back from hurtling it at the demon's head at the last second.

"Fool. That is the chain Mavis used to bind our Lord so Igneel could perform his spell," Mard Geer smirked, "It was used to bind Master End at the height of his power – his sealed form should succumb to it."

A slow grin dragged over Jackal's face as understanding cleared in his eyes.

"And all I gotta do is make him wear it," He let loose a loud cackle, pocketing the silver bracelet. The demon swept down into a low, mocking bow to Mard Geer. As usual, he was ignored, but this time Jackal took that to mean he was being dismissed.

"Alright then, I'll give our king a welcome home gift," Jackal laughed. He smirked at the way Mard Geer's hand tightened on the spine of his book. Not bothering to identify what the cause of his current state of mind was, Jackal slipped out of the room.

Once the hinderance was gone, Mard Geer returned to the book again. It fell open to a page near the back of the tome, and he disinterestedly scanned the information.

"Hm…" He frowned, interest sparking alighting in his eyes when he began to become absorbed by the text. Maliciousness settled across his body and a fascinated smile came over him.

"Lumen Histoire, hm – so that is what you've been after Master End?"

A way to bring back Zeref.

Perfect.

-::-

On a scale between 'one' and '_Bury-Me-Alive-to-Save-Me-from-Embarassment'_, Lucy was rating somewhere along the line of _'Smother-Me-in-Tar_.'

Upon reaching the front gates, she and Natsu were treated like royalty by the staff. Or rather she had, Natsu had been made to hold her cardigan by the door. His put out expression lasted for all of ten seconds before a shark-toothed smile decorated his face. It was as if he realized if he was going to be treated like a servant, he could explore to his hearts content. Lucy had just enough time to shoot him a warning glare before she was swept away by the staff.

Natsu trailed behind her, his gait swaying through the wide hallways as if he were used to striding around in buildings like this. Head swiveling this way and that, Natsu did almost everything in his power to annoy Lucy.

Simultaneously looking around his surroundings, Natsu also took to touching _everything_. At one point Lucy almost had a heart attack when she saw him picking up one of her father's ancient vases and gave it a rough shake to see if anything was inside. He juggled it when Lucy's head snapped around like something out of the Exorcist to glare at him.

Satisfied when the Demon King made a terrified squeak, Lucy pulled him to the side when they stopped their march.

"Is it possible for you to go more than five minutes without having to want to lick every surface?" she hissed, almost missing the mischievous glint in his eyes. Her attention diverted between the eavesdropping servants and her smirking boyfriend – demon – thing… whatever he was.

They had blown by the Facebook status of 'It's complicated' the moment he crashed into the bathroom stall she was occupying months ago.

Winter had come and gone, giving way to spring and now summer. The time they spent together had taken up such a huge part of her life; Lucy didn't want their adventure to end. But she had no complaints; every moment with Natsu was an adventure. Even the ones when she was trying not to tear out chunks of her hair from his childish antics.

As expected of him, Natsu slid into her personal space. Devilish grin in place, he crowded into her bubble and lowered his head to her ear. If he noticed the way she stiffened at the abrupt change in proximity, he said nothing. He made no comment on it, or the hitch in her lungs. Hot breath puffed against her ear and a husky chuckle caused a jolt of surprise to shiver down her spine. His nose tickled against the lock of her hair that came down to frame around her face.

"You weren't complaining about other things I licked," his voice rumbled into her skin, curved lips pressing into the hollow of her throat. This time Lucy did gasp at the feeling of his hot mouth leaving a branding kiss under her ear.

Her heart fluttered in her chest at the feeling of his strong jaw sliding against her cheek. She took a moment to admire him. Pink hair filled her vision from this angle, but the feeling of his battle roughened skin grazing across hers left her breathless in a moment.

It was embarrassing how his presence could have such an unusual effect on her. And how quickly. Tightening her hand around his sleeve, she pulled him closer until the vase he had swiped bumped between their bodies and he grinned, unrepentant.

The servants chittered excitedly amongst themselves at the sight of their young miss being in such intimate quarters with her male friend. Of course they fell silent as they realized something the couple hadn't.

Had Lucy's face not been burning like the sun, she might have noticed a door opening and the staff's tittering abruptly coming to a halt. The intimate brush of Natsu's smiling lips curled in a wicked smirk against her ear froze all coherent thoughts in Lucy's brain. All she knew was that he was warm, and comforting, and she was definitely going to kick him in the shins later for being such a perv.

To her credit, the quick-reflexed dragon with super senses didn't notice the dark shadow approaching either.

"I'm sorry, you licked _**what**_ on my daughter?"

And just like that, it was as if all the air had been sucked from the room, smothering Natsu's flames in an instant.

Lucy had never seen the demon's face pale faster in her life. Under normal circumstances she would busy herself with laughing at the grave Natsu had dug for himself. Unfortunately this time she was sharing the hole in the ground with him.

A new spin on, 'Until Death do They Part.'

A room had never cleared out quicker in the Heartfilia estate, because when Lucy next looked around – the servants were gone.

Smart.

The couple sprang apart as if the mere proximity of one another would be enough to rain the fury of the gods themselves down upon their souls. It was a close enough analogy, Lucy reasoned. She felt again like she was in high school and being caught by her father's disapproving glare.

Jude Heartfilia stood very still in a manicured suit and tie. His eyes were sharp, the ruthless stare of a businessman who was sizing up his competition. Right before he brought his enemies to their knees without mercy.

That rather pointed gaze was directed in force at Natsu. To his credit, Natsu met his eye even though signs of his uncharacteristic nervousness were showing through. It was clear Jude's sudden appearance had taken him by surprise, and he was not used to being caught whispering dirty innuendos in her ear.

"I believe this belongs to me," Jude said with a flatness that had Lucy wincing. He reached out and gripped the neck of the vase from Natsu and tugged it free from his loose hands. It was returned delicately to its proper spot on a pedestal before Jude turned his full attention to his audience.

"Uhm," Natsu stared.

Jude's unwavering attention snapped right past Natsu and focused instead on Lucy. She pursed her lips together and let loose a sigh of resignation. Better to get this over with then. An uneasy tension filled the air, felt only by Lucy.

"Hey dad," She sighed.

Jude nodded once, moving to the side towards the door he had come through. The silent invitation to follow him was heard as Natsu and Lucy looked at one another. Natsu's eyes were dark, but warm, glittering with the strange colors she could never pin down.

She let the change in his eyes soothe the odd, nervous hammering in her heart. Steeling her courage, Lucy bit her bottom lip and followed her father's retreating back. Natsu's warm presence behind her was a sturdy rock – he would probably call her weird for thinking so, but she relied on him none-the-less.

Her fathers office was as wide and imposing as she remembered. Polished bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, adorned with only the most expensive and first edition copies of books. When she was younger, she wondered if her father had actually ever read a single one but never dared to ask. They were kept in pristine condition and had not changed in location since the last time she saw them. Only the best for her father, she thought with some bitterness.

She hesitated when she reached his desk, Natsu's warm presence beside her gave her the strength to step forward. He smoothed her nerves over with a single touch across her spine, like sinking into a hot bath. Her smile to him was halfway across her face when a familiar portrait caught her attention, hanging over his desk.

Layla, her mother. She was depicted in oil paints, thick colors swirling and blending through together in translucent hues, built up slowly under the careful strokes of a brush. Her face was smooth and full of life, just as Lucy remembered her in her childhood. But not how she remained in her final moments.

"You brought mother's painting out from the archives room," Lucy looked at her father in astonishment. The mere memory of his wife had brought nothing but bitterness and pain in the past. To see her portrait hanging in his study made a glimmer of hope for the man who had raised her swell in her chest.

She knew she was partially to blame for the rift that yawned between them. It took two people for a chasm as wide as theirs to form. At the time of her mother's death, she had spurned all things even reminiscent of Layla. Among those was her father. By the time she healed enough to realize what had happened, her father had taken his own sort of refuge into his work.

He became cold and ruthless, sinking deeper and deeper into his work until nothing Lucy did could bring him out. It had taken some time upon Lucy's departure for them to get to a good place again. However, even visits such as this were stained with a tenseness between them she was afraid would never disappear.

The sight of her mother's face, calm and smiling down over Lucy and Jude was like a purifying spirit.

It seemed the distance between them had been enough of a wake up call for Jude to remember what he risked losing.

At least Lucy hoped.

Jude's attention turned towards the portrait, a lax sort of smile twitching under his moustache. He walked around his desk and sat down on a broken and worn leather seat. The chair groaned under his weight, the soft cushions pressed down and worn in places from his many years spent laboring in it.

She had never seen him replace the chair. It held sentimental value to him despite how it was falling apart at the seams. Mismatched thread in strange colors held old rips together. Loose batting pushed out from between the stitches. For all her father's money, he refused to have the seat replaced.

It was a part of his family since before his wealth, or so one of the older servants had told Lucy long ago. Back before she was born, it was repaired and mended by her mother and father. He couldn't afford to have it replaced, so instead did what they could to put it back together.

Layla had come from the wealthy Heartfilia family, one which had only thrived under her father's careful tending. Jude married into the rich family, but had not wanted to touch a dime of his wife's money until he could prove he was worth bearing the Heartfilia name. So the chair remained, even after all these years.

Sentimentality ran thick through their family. A lasting piece of Layla's work her father liked to hold onto.

"So, what brings you back to the estate after all this time?" Jude asked. All of his weight fell forward on his elbows. Getting to the point was just like his style. He had never been one to dilly dally around when there was money to be made – as such his time was a valuable commodity. One he would not relinquish even to his daughter. Lucy managed to smother a smile of amusement, where in the past the thought would have brought her tremendous sadness.

She had really changed too she supposed.

Never sitting down in one of the plush chairs in front of her father's desk – a stark contrast to his own decrepit seat, Lucy dropped her palms onto the polished surface. As a child she had never dared to touch the gleam wood – it was a representation of his wealth and power after all. To leave fingerprints and grime on it would have been grounds for punishment. Maybe Natsu was rubbing off on her after all, because she felt bolder now. She feared no such punishment as she had when she was young.

But Jude didn't seem to mind either.

The question to see the records of her ancestry was right on her tongue. The archive room was sealed, like a chamber of perfectly preserved old crap her family had squirrelled away for as long as the estate had been around. When she was little, Lucy never saw the merit, but now she was just grateful for their hoarding ways.

Still it was never opened unless for the most dire of circumstances.

So _**never**_ basically.

Which made the fact that Jude pulled out Layla's portrait all the more potent.

Lucy hesitated, her words stilling on her tongue as the magnitude of what she was going to ask of him struck her. Would he refuse? Or would he get angry? For a moment she remembered the remains of a riceball mashed into the carpet of his office, just a few feet from where she was standing now. Her tongue felt like it was sticking to the roof of her mouth, paralyzing her vocal cords.

She wasn't afraid, but she was becoming aware of the fact she was asking him for something which could set him off. It made her cautious.

She would have to ask with the utmost care.

"We wanna see Lucy's family tree," Natsu blurted, his rough manner of speaking breaking through the air and shattering Lucy's thoughts. His hands were looped behind his head, fingers buried into thick pink hair. Dark eyes blinked with an air of innocence Lucy didn't believe for a second, "That cool?"

Or they could rip off the bandaid and get right to the pit of the matter.

_No problem whatsoever._

"And you are?" Jude asked of the demon, his eyes unyielding. Natsu did not squirm, his bravery unshakable in the face of death-by-paternal-glare. It seemed like his obtuse nature had kicked in, making him forget for the moment that Jude wanted to hang him upside down by his scarf.

"Natsu."

Jude's eyes seemed to close they had narrowed so far into slits, "Natsu what-"

"Dragneel," Natsu lifted his eyes to Jude's.

The man's look turned severe in a second, so Lucy was startled when he snapped it towards her. Pivoting his head in the direction of his daughter, Jude rose in a surge. His chair kicked out wildly behind him in his haste to rise.

"Dad?" Lucy asked, alarmed by his reaction. He was giving Natsu a 'dad-with-a-shotgun' type of glare, and Lucy realized too late that no matter what his calm exterior was, he didn't have any reason to trust Natsu with family secrets. Not only that, but Jude had always been a reclusive. Secretive with any information that could be considered pertinent, Jude trusted very few.

Potential boyfriends were included on that list as well much to Lucy's apparent displeasure.

"And what are your intentions with my daughter?" He demanded, his voice sharp.

Lucy almost ducked her face in her hands in embarrassment. Natsu was about to get the 'shovel talk' and he didn't even know why. Despite her utter mortification on the subject, Lucy held her tongue. Curiosity reared its head enough for her to admit she was interested in what Natsu had to say. Thus, she gave him an innocent smile when he gave her a confused look.

"Uh, what?"

Lucy really thought her father's head was seconds away from exploding. Although to be fair, she was impressed by how much patience he was showing now.

"Your. Intentions. With. My. Daughter," Jude ground out, "What are they?"

"Dad – about the archives… " Lucy tried, deciding perhaps retreat was the better part of bravery here.

"Well Mr. Dragneel?" Jude demanded.

Natsu frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. Head tilting from side to side, he hummed under his breath, shoulders hunching. No doubt he was getting ready to interpret her father's words in his typical blunt fashion.

Braced by the table, her eyes wandered to Natsu's. The voice in the back of her head wondered why kind of fire she was going to have to put out after he answered this question. A double edged question.

Sunny smile glowing over his cheeks, Natsu seemed to reach a decision that pleased him.

Lucy held her breath.

_Here it comes…_

To her surprise, tan fingers quick as lightening snatched her hand into his.

"She's my partner," he said with such boyish earnestness, it left her reeling to catch up. Slack jawed and breathless, a flutter of warmth wormed its way down into the pit of her belly and spread outwards like an affectionate caress. Natsu's response was appropriate, much to her surprise.

"Lucy is my partner," He repeated, lifting her hand in his, "So we're sticking together. That's what a team does."

His face portrayed how strange he thought the question had been, as if to say – "duh." It was sweet coming from him.

"Does weirdness run in the family Lucy?"

Silence fell.

Lucy groaned.

That had to be some kind of record for how quickly Natsu crammed his own foot down his throat. With as often as he ate it, she had to wonder if he enjoyed the taste.

Much to her increasing surprise, her father did not look as furious as she was expecting. In fact, the expression he wore was more similar to pensive consideration than anything else. As if he hadn't quite decided to write off Natsu.

Tension unwound from his body like a coiled snake.

"Lucy," He said into the silent air that followed Natsu's flippant comment. Catching enough flies in her mouth, she nodded her attention to her father. Today was a day of surprises, and Lucy didn't know what startled her more. Natsu's quasi-sane thoughts, or her father's sudden patience.

"Would you give Natsu and I a moment alone?" He asked. Scooting back just far enough from his desk to get space, he withdrew an antique key. It was large, with a round handle and curve stem. Discolored from the passing years, the tarnish had turned an inviting brassy hue.

Reaching out to grasp it, she wondered if this was some sort of trick. Was the key suddenly going to sprout wings and fly around like a bird to peck her to death? It was unlike her father to give up something he took so seriously, so he must have really been interested in having this talk with Natsu.

The key was heavy in her hand, the roughened texture of the key scratched across her fingers, but she pocketed it. Hesitation made her stop. It was one thing to find teasing amusement out of seeing Natsu squirm under the barrel of her fathe'rs gun, it was another to have him left in the same room without her. Natsu met her gaze; a bright smile on his face to reassure her it was fine for him to be left alone.

In truth she was more nervous about Natsu setting her father's curtains on fire or something like that. She rested her hand across the planes of his back and leaned in, pecking a light kiss against his jaw. Rewarded with a bashful shift from the demon and a dusty rose flushing across tanned cheeks, Lucy backed up.

"Find me in the gardens when you're done, alright?" She ran her hand down the back of his shirt, feeling his muscles twitch around his spine wherever her hand travelled. He was tense, and not just from her surprising touch, but in a more telling way.

So he wasn't as oblivious as he looked.

"Don't keep me waiting long," Lucy chided, walking out after giving his back a small, calming scratch through his shirt. Slanted eyes watched her go and she smiled back at him over his shoulder. He returned the grin; a wide, proud grin that left her heart doing a flip in her chest. It widened when, in her distraction, Lucy walked into the thick oak door.

Flushing and rubbing her nose, she snapped the door shut behind her to save a little bit of face.

She walked through the old hallways, putting some distance between herself and the conversation her father was having with Natsu. Whatever they were going to talk about, Natsu would be alright. She just hoped the mansion remained in one piece after they were done.

What happened next was up to them. Lucy smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, making her way back towards the gardens. It was strange being back in this place, walking unescorted down the wide, lonely halls.

When she was little, this place had been home. At least during the time her mother had been alive. But the family was gone, and it was only filled with her, her father, and the servants for company.

She ran a hand across the dark, polished molding, her eyes following the starry paintings that decorated both ceiling and walls. It was something out of old architecture, like the Sistine chapel. But instead of biblical scenes, Lucy observed the old stories of the sky.

Stories like Leo and Aries. The lion and the lamb, or Aquarius, the water bearer. Her mom had told Lucy all kinds of stories about the paintings, citing the stars as their friends. These paintings had always brought Lucy a calming sort of comfort; one she couldn't help but smile over whenever she thought about how they kept her company during the lonely days after her mother was gone.

"Hey guys," she greeted them, "Sorry it's been so long since I last said hello. I've missed you, but hey – I get to see you all the time in the sky."

Perhaps it was silly to hold onto the foolish bedtime stories her mother gave her. But Natsu had seemed to enjoy the ones she deemed to share with him on their date.

Stargazing. How had he known?

Smiling, Lucy said her goodbyes and headed into the gardens.

She had said hello to her starry friends and her father. Even the servants had gotten a greeting from her. But now, it was time to visit the person she was most eager to see.

Her mother.

-::-

_**This was getting so long so I had to split the chapter up. I had no choice. D8 Anyway. Hope you guys liked it. Hahaha. We only have like, 5 chapters left. Holy crap…**_

_**FIVE CHAPTERS.**_


	16. Sinners

Mature content between the (* *)

After a discussion like the one Natsu just had with Jude, he was going to need a stiff drink. Or an entire liquor store. He wasn't sure he had ever seen anything more terrifying as that man's 'if you hurt my daughter' speech. He had been on the receiving end of some of Erza's most fierce glares, but not even that compared to the sort of protective instinct a father had over his little girl.

So help him gods if Erza ever had children.

That would be a prime example of the single most terrifying combination conceivable to all of the realms. No one could survive that. So scary.

But also sobering, as Natsu had to remind himself that until Jellal made amends for his crime while under possession – Erza would not be having children any time soon.

Sticking his hands in his pockets and slouching, Natsu followed Lucy's scent through the surprisingly clean estate. He was used to walking in a palace such as this, but Fairy Tail was also rich with booze and dust, and broken chairs from whoever had gotten thrown through the window earlier that morning. Usually Elfman.

Or Natsu.

His own palace in Tartarus was all matte, jagged rock while the other one he frequented served as a sort of guild hall for the fairies and their allies to gather in. None were kept as clean as this. Lucy's father ran a tight ship.

Grinning, more to himself than anything, he slung Lucy's cardigan over one shoulder. How had he gotten saddled with carrying the damn thing around? Last he checked, she had two perfectly usable hands, even equipped with ten fingers each. As far as he knew, she had a functioning heart as well. All which were required to hang onto her weird scrap of fabric.

But really, how was something so sparse even supposed to keep a thin-skinned human warm?

Something slithered out of one of the pockets, drawing his attention down to the floor.

A ribbon.

Silky and blue, it gathered on the floor near one of his feet. He bent, plucking it from the floor and twining it around his fingers. Recognizing it as one of Lucy's ribbons for her hair, he pocketed it. He had to remember to give it back to her, because he knew it was one of her favorites. Weird hair decorations, Natsu didn't get it.

Maybe it was a girl thing, because Erza did it too sometimes.

Jogging now, he made his way through complicated corridors with ease. Thankful for his sharp nose, he followed her scent until he found Lucy in the gardens.

Walking slowly, he took the time to admire the awe-inspiring gardens. He breathed out in a rush of air, eyes lighting up with childish wonder.

It reminded him of home.

The yearning to return there hit him in a rush at that moment. Sweet air with no pollution, blue skies instead of towering cement buildings. He wondered if Lucy would like to go there with him one day.

Or would he stay with her once the war was over?

Would she want him to?

He shook his head and held the breath he took in before exhaling all at once. This place was filled with nostalgia. The fairy gardens he would visit with Igneel, chasing after Gajeel's tail until Erza swept in to smack them both.

Mavis would watch the whole thing after her hushed discussions with Igneel, pride on her face.

She had died shortly after. He hadn't known her for very long, and only later realized what she had sacrificed for everyone. A chance to push back the darkness caused by Zeref.

Only no one had any way of predicting how the demonic forces would rally. In their efforts to get their king back and avenge their fallen Master, their army gathered with more ferocity than it had while End governed it.

But these gardens – they spoke to Natsu of a happier time. Right before the resurgence of the war. He would play in gardens much like this one with all of his comrades. Gray came much later, well into the war – he was their most recent addition. Thanks to his human heritage, his lifespan was considerably shorter than the average fairies.

At least that was what they had believed until the spark of demon slaying magic grew in him.

No one was sure how it happened.

If Gray knew, he wasn't sharing.

Regardless, for better or worse, the aging process seemed to have stopped for him. Or at least slowed. So perhaps one day Gray would get to see gardens like this too.

He hoped Gray had a chance to raise little ice monsters in a garden like this with Juv—

The thought cut off, strangled at the root. Weight from battles and war pressed down on his lungs, squeezing air from him.

Erza, Jellal, Juvia, Gray.

They all lost so much.

The war was going to continue taking until there was nothing left.

But they were getting close, he reminded himself. Refusing to let the sense of defeat suffocate him, he clenched his fists. He knew it was only a matter of time before this all came to a conclusion.

Brightening, he jogged the last few paces to Lucy and dropped his head around to look at her face. She looked just as deep in thought as him just moments prior.

He offered a smile that she returned and slid into place beside her. Their arms bumped one another, a reminder of their proximity. Natsu didn't mind. He never had much of a personal bubble. Especially not around Lucy.

"What's this?" He asked, wondering why Lucy had picked this spot out of all the others to wait for him. No response came from her immediately.

One moment to the next passed between them in silence. Lucy remained staring at the oddly shaped stone surface before them.

Directing his attention to what had captivated her complete focus, he almost didn't notice when her hand slipped into his. Their fingers twined together, and Natsu realized by the soft tremble to her palm that she was shaking. Her hand squeezed his, and the slow realization she was taking comfort from him sprang to his mind.

But.

Why?

What was noticeable a moment later, was the name engraved on the marble surface inset into the ground. The hard suck of air that rushed through his lungs at the realization what they were standing before drew Lucy's eyes to his face. This time he didn't look away from the stone.

"Natsu," Lucy's voice cracked the quiet. An air of sadness following her, but their hands hung between their bodies, his fingers squeezing hers for comfort.

"I wanted to introduce you to my mother."

Layla Heartfilia.

They were at a grave.

It was one unlike any Natsu had seen before. A lush overhanging of branches crossed overhead. It formed a sheltering canopy, preventing falling debris from tumbling down to gather around the marking stone.

Beams of sunlight filtered through the crossing libs, painting an odd pattern across their skin.

Natsu swallowed, suddenly far more nervous now at the site of her mother's grave than he had been the entire time he spoke to Jude. The fond way Lucy referred to Layla – in the few times she had mentioned her, were enough to convince Natsu of the woman's importance in her life.

He held a tremendous amount of respect for the woman, no matter how long she had been deceased for. And for Jude too. They had both raised Lucy. No matter how painful her family's history was.

They made something beautiful together.

Surprising Lucy, he bowed his head to Layla's grave, his voice solemn to show the woman who birthed Lucy the proper respect she deserved.

He smiled at the headstone, kneeling down as he reached out to skate his fingertips over the smooth stone.

He looked at it as if it were a person, hoping Layla's spirit lingered around enough for her to hear him as they often sometimes liked to do.

"It's nice to meet you ma'am," He smiled. He rubbed his thumb over the 'L', "Your daughter is sort of a weirdo, but I'm gonna keep her if that's okay with you?"

"Thank you," the statement was directed towards the gravestone.

Lucy's reaction to his words seemed positive. When she dropped next to him a moment later, her arms twined around him. Natsu was startled at first, but he accepted the embrace easily. Body growing lax when Lucy's head dipped into his shoulder, his cheek pressed down against the crown of her head.

They stayed like that for a long while, the silence blooming between them like one of the flowers around the gardens. Like them, it was comfortable. Even soothing. His face broke out into a smile and Lucy's breathless laughter filled the space better than any words could.

After a while it died down, Lucy's fingers twitching against Natsu's arm.

"Come on. Lets go check out those records," Lucy murmured. Natsu agreed with a nod to his head, standing up with her at his side.

"By the way, my dad didn't grill you too hard, did he?"

Natsu's smile wavered a second and he turned around when Lucy's hand dragged him back towards the mansion.

He remembered that rather pointed conversation and swallowed.

"Nope," he lied, a nervous giggle escaping him, "Not at all!"

-::-

It turned out researching was even worse than having Jude threaten to bury his body where it would never be found. Not that this was news, he actively avoided all attempts on his life with a great measure of practice. Right now though he suspected he would die under a mountain of old paper. Natsu actively attempted to avoid all sources of books and information like the plague. Why couldn't they just read themselves and leave him out of it?

He whined as he flipped through an old photobook, dusty photographs of people he didn't recognize flashing before his eyes.

His heels were dropped down on the expensive table in the records room, his back lowered almost completely under the table as he held the album over his head. Boring, boring, boring. A bunch of dusty, old humans he didn't know. None of the pictures were even labeled correctly.

Dragons had a reputation for being hoarders, but Natsu didn't see the point of collecting so many pictures of people who weren't around anymore. The record keeping they had in his world was done differently. A family tree could stretch on for many reams of scrolls, but it was notarized with a simple seal.

Names on a piece of paper. Not pictures and paintings of people long since dead. It was too expensive to have crafted by hand for your entire family.

Although he supposed Lucy's family had the cash to burn.

But photos seemed to be a thing for humans. Inexpensive and fast. They didn't have them in his world. One day Lucy had woken him up from laying on their couch with a bright flash of light and a laugh.

In her hands was a camera, but Natsu hadn't known that at the time. Instead he scrambled backwards, screamed and fell over the back of the couch. He landed on his head, and he lost a shoe in the process. It landed somewhere on the ceiling fan, but Lucy had been so busy laughing at his expense she hadn't noticed until it slipped off and hit her on the head.

Then she had taken to snapping a photograph of them together once he had picked himself off the floor. He was amazed over how quickly the image was rendered on the tiny screen on the back of the device. It was like humans compensated with their own source of magic, and Natsu could never get over how fascinating they were as a species.

Even if they were hoarders.

"Lucy," Natsu whined, dropping the album on his face as his arms hung out by his sides. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know Natsu," Lucy said with a touch of impatience, "But if you're good and don't set anything on fire, we'll go for soft serve ice cream afterwards."

"Yaaaaaaay."

He would gladly accept a bribe of ice cream. Natsu used his index finger to lift the cover of the book covering his face so he could eye Lucy.

Although there was something else he craved more. A smile tugged at his mouth, his expression turning sly when he nudged the book off his face and snapped it shut from the spine. He shoved off the table to scoot his chair out and his feet hit the floor with a loud slapping noise. Rolling upright, he propped an elbow onto the armrest now that he was seated normally in the chair.

His eyes followed Lucy as she bustled around the archives, pulling books down and reaching for something on a shelf just out of her grasp. Her fingers wrapped around the slats of a ladder as she bent and stretched for a stack of papers. A smudge of blue ink had somehow landed on her cheek, leaking from the blue pen she tucked behind her ear.

The windows of the archive were old and fogged over with an odd yellow hue. However when the sunlight streamed in, it cast a golden light over Lucy, reflected in her blond hair. It was as if a halo of light followed after her.

Natsu waited for her to climb down to stand up. Thumbs hooking in his belt loops, he crossed the room to where she was setting the books down on a table. She didn't notice his approach until he flattened his hand against the small of her back.

She looked over her shoulder at him curiously, the sight of her bent over with golden hair spilling over her back made his stomach tighten with heat. He trailed a hand up her spine, his thumb circling under the base of his skull and fingers twining through her messy braid. It was down earlier, a sight he found he preferred, but she had woven it into a hasty fishtail the moment they started to work.

"Ice cream is fine 'n all," Natsu drawled lazily, a wicked grin lighting his face. Of course he almost tripped over his own feet when he walked over to her, trying to be smooth. It wasn't an action that went ignored by Lucy over the snort she tried to smother.

Stepping into her personal space, Natsu felt like he managed to recover his mojo. He tugged her towards him, his tongue sliding across his sharp teeth, "But what if that's not what I want?"

Lucy's eyes widened, her pink lips falling open in a startled gasp. Her lips twitched upwards into a tiny grin in response, an eyebrow quirking at him, "Sounds like someone is being greedy."

When Natsu's arms wrapped around her waist, he watched with hungry eyes when her teeth came down to lightly bite into the soft flesh. Riveted to the motion, Natsu watched with no small amount of envy before his own greed reared its head.

He kissed her, capturing the soft mouth for himself and crowding her backwards when he advanced. Unlike the last time, there was no hesitation or balking from what they had. It was a branding kiss, aggressive and even a little rough. He was relieved when Lucy responded in kind, equal fervor sending shudders across is back. The fear he had startled her with his sudden interest disappeared when one of her hands dropped to his waist and bunched in the fabric of his shirt.

Everything about her was an invitation, to the soft gasps she made as she sucked in air between Natsu's consuming kisses, to the way she gripped onto the lip of the table with white knuckles.

His hand travelled up her spine, enjoying the feel of how it bowed against his touch. Delicate hands lifted up to snag his collar, pulling his head down to her face with more strength than what he accounted for.

Their teeth knocked together and Natsu was sent forward into her, hips crashing into hers. He caught himself on the table, spilling over a stack of dusty old tomes which went ignored. He grunted at the feeling of them together.

This perfect woman, with enough spice and heat to distract him with a roll of her eyes. Whether it was teasing him or crashing after a night of binge-watching scary movies on the couch, she had quickly become the center of his world. This fascinating human and her open heart were the treasures _he_ coveted.

Not strange, dusty images.

Natsu could only settle for the real thing. Not an imitation.

He had always known Lucy was beautiful. But it meant very little to Natsu. Many of Zeref's demons were attractive. It was just a meaningless outer layer, something nice to look at, but without substance it was pointless. *

His hands dropped down under Lucy's thighs, squeezing her soft skin and lifting her up to prop her back onto the table. Her legs spread to accommodate him, crossing at the ankles behind his back and pressing her heels into his ass.

Lips smiled into his, Natsu felt his brain short circuit from the heat sparked in his blood. Certainly not enough of it was running into his head. Blood pounded happily southbound, his hips flexing upwards into the heat at Lucy's center. It was heat and tension that felt so good he thought he would spontaneously combust right there on the spot.

Nails bit into his scalp and Natsu relished in the feeling of her fingers curling tight into the short locks of pink hair on his neck. He couldn't crush the groan that escaped him, his hips grinding into Lucy, her back curving and arching to match his.

He felt her hips moving in frustrated little circles, her skirt sliding over creamy thighs and giving him a peek of the dark red underwear beneath the fabric. Hands bunched around the skirt, wrinkling it under impatient, needy fingers. It clenched and gathered as he flipped it up and backed enough away to get a better look at her.

A dark, wet spot rested over the crotch, and Natsu let out a whine of delight. He couldn't resist the scent of her arousal, thick and filling the dusty archive room. It was her scent, exposed and unsullied by another's touch. Except _his_.

Natsu ran a calloused finger over the silky material, his thumb pressing into her nub through the thin lace. He watched with fascination as Lucy's legs tensed, her lips ripping from him as her body pressed back into the table in one swelling motion. Her gasp was ragged and a soft noise he loved keened from her.

He repeated the action, watching again as her body rocked into the motion. It gave him an inviting view of her heavy chest. It lifted and fell as her breathing became labored and her legs moved restlessly around him. Hands dropped down on her thighs, squeezing into the sensitive skin as he slowly knelt down between her legs.

Lucy watched him with a hazed expression in her eyes, and her entire face began to burn red at the sight of him kneeling between her legs. Giving her a victorious smirk, his finger crooked to catch the damp, silky material of her underwear around the middle. With a firm tug, he pulled them down long legs and off her foot.

_Finally_.

Natsu felt like he had been plowed right in the face over the scent of her arousal. It was like being thrown headfirst into a wall, and it left him dizzy. A heavy throb pushed painfully in his pants, his own need brushing against the constraining fabric. He would have to deal with that later.

"Natsu if you don't stop staring- ," Lucy's voice rushed to him, grounding him back to the present. She sounded threatening and embarrassed, which just made Natsu's mischievous streak rise to the surface.

He hoisted her legs onto his shoulders, growling at the feel of them locking around him as if to keep him in place. He nicked his fangs lightly across her inner thighs, nibbling up to her core. Grazing bites, soothed by rough lips and gentle hands made her twitch and moan. Her devious hands came to bury themselves into his hair and tugged, trying to guide his teasing mouth closer.

Sensing she was getting riled to the point of impatience and seeing that his own vision was beginning to cloud over with his own desperation, he gave her what she so craved. He closed his lips around her nub, one, then two fingers pressed into her heat and stroked at her inner walls.

He had never done this before with Lucy, so he paid close attention to what had her toes curling and where her body tensed just right. He felt her walls beginning to tighten around him as he stroked her, rough fingers finding their home inside her. In and out, he pumped his hand into her, burying to the knuckles before sliding out.

Lucy writhed against him, bumping his nose against her mound, her legs tightening around his head in an attempt to keep him from moving. Her cries became increasingly more vocal when his teeth grazed softly against her clit. She was so sensitive to him, and it made Natsu's entire body boil at the sight of her starting to come undone.

He nipped at her inflamed lips, his hand moving with firm strength, her hips rolling to try and meet his thrusts. The sound of sucking wetness filled the room along with Lucy's heated pants, the tight clenching around him enough to drive Natsu insane. He was fired up now.

Curling his fingers into her upper wall, his other hand came around to pin Lucy's hips down against the table by flattening his palm against her stomach. Lips wrapping firmly around her clit, he pressed his tongue against the sensitive spot. He was fascinated to see how her mouth dropped open and her squirming seemed to freeze all at once.

A fresh rush of fluid leaked out around his fingers, and her walls clenched and fluttered around them. Her eyes shuddered close, a soft, keening drawing from her throat as her back arched clear off the table.

Natsu watched without shame, the heat that worked up her chest and neck was a fascinating sight. Her clothes, once pristine, were askew, the cardigan he had returned to her sliding off her shoulders and leaving her in a tank top that gave him an excellent view of her heaving breasts.

Chocolate eyes, dark with want and desire as Natsu slowly drew his hand away. His hot tongue dragged over her sensitive folds, savoring the taste of her exhausted pleasure. A steady throb in his groin was distracting but he ignored it in favor of watching Lucy recover. He could feel the pulse throughout his entire body, hammering against his heart and filling his body with tenseness.

Stomach clenching and burning, he dragged his hand against her thighs when he stood up, sliding over her lax body.

"Lucy I-"

Even awash with pleasure and a haze over her mind, Lucy's legs lifted to hook around Natsu's waist and tug him towards her. Urgency had taken its hold on him, and he undid the buckles of his pants, sliding it off to fall to the floor next to her panties. He was too riled to mess around with discarding clothes.

"Natsu, _hurry._"

His erection strained against his boxers and he pushed the fabric aside, letting it slide free into the heated air still steaming between them. Lucy's drowsy eyes lit with a new flame, and Natsu was almost taken by surprise when she grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him down into a fierce kiss.

Almost.

He guided himself into her prepared heat, the tip pressing into her wet core. With a firm flex to trim hips, he was able to seat himself in her. Natsu's breath shuddered out in a wave, his eyes growing hazy with pleasure as he gripped onto the table around her body.

Her legs twisted around him again, shoving him forward so he sank in another inch. Natsu's arms trembled as he held himself up, his breath huffing out against her shoulder as heaven itself sparked over his nerves.

A bit blasphemous for a demon, but he thought he understood the sentiment.

Thrusting into motion at her impatient whine, Natsu found her swollen lips again, his mouth slanting over hers. It burned with intensity, but as his thrusting began to pick up, he had to give it up in favor of resting his sweaty brow on her shoulder. Lucy's fingers clawed into his muscled back, and scored marks across the ridge of his spine.

It spurred him on, growling low in his throat as he picked up the pace, panting hard as he rushed them towards that edge. Lucy's hips had begun to press upwards again, the slapping of skin muffled by their clothed bodies.

Their bodies moved together, words disappearing to mere grunts or cries of one another's names. The occasional begging or approval rushed from their lungs as they breathed one another in.

Pleasure mounted between them again, Natsu's hand sneaking between their connected bodies to press and tweak at her nub, his other hand slid up under Lucy's shirt to knead at her breast through her bra. She let out a strangled sounding noise, the tension in Natsu's body curling to almost unbearable levels.

"_Nastu please, oh __**god**_," Lucy babbled, her chest pressing into his hand, her hips losing their rhythm as he hit a frantic pace. His mouth came up to bite at her breast through her tanktop, his teeth dulled by the layers of fabric, but the pressure was enough. All too soon her body was seizing up again, clenching hard around Natsu.

His hips stuttered when she clamped down against him. As Lucy's back bowed off the table, a trickle of sweat dragged down her breasts and disappeared past her collarbone. It was hypnotizing, but Natsu couldn't stop to admire it.

Words were gone in the haze between them, and Natsu pushed into her three more times before his body shuddered. Golden, white hot pleasure roared through his veins, his thrusts shallow and desperate as his body moved on its own.

It was like liquid sizzled through his limbs, exhausting him as he slowly began to come down from his high.

His hips slowed and stilled, forehead dropping against Lucy's shoulder as his breath came in heavy and hot over her flushed chest. Fully clothed against one another, he breathed in their mingling scents and pressed a lazy, open mouthed kiss into her neck.

Slowly, he peppered the kisses upwards and dropped a lazy kiss against her mouth. He savored it, affection for her driving him to move at a languid pace now. She returned his light kisses, the slow pull and tug of their mouths enough to make his heart flutter.

It was a different sort of warmth, one that made its way into his heart and stayed there.

He grinned against her mouth and slowly pulled out from her. His breathing was still a little ragged, but as he helped Lucy up, he couldn't help but admire the absolute mess she looked.

Her hair had all but fallen out of her braid entirely and her bra was askew under her shirt. Her skirt was wrinkled from gathering around her waist for so long and her cardigan was hanging onto her by her wrists.

Sense slowly seemed to return to her under Natsu's burning gaze.

"I can't believe we did that in my father's archive, what if he had come in!" Lucy's cheeks were burning red as she searched for those tempting panties that matched her pretty face. She gave Natsu's chest a flustered little shove, and he couldn't help but find it cute when he found her panties for her, and she snatched them from his hand like he set them on fire.

Which was tempting.

Natsu grinned crookedly, feeling much more relaxed now. Not to mention a little sleepy. He simply tightened his belt back around his waist and slid his hands into his pockets.*

"So, icecream now?" He asked hopefully, a wide grin on his face.

The expression of utter disbelief on Lucy's face when she whipped around to stare at him was definitely worth the sly comment.

"I said if you were good!" Lucy hissed, her fingers rapidly combing through her hair and trying to straighten it out, "How was any of that even faintly resembling good!"

She wagged a finger at him and huffed, tossing a fresh braid over her shoulder. Natsu resisted the urge to follow her and mess it up again. Huffing on a breath of laughter, his eyes glittered and he slid an arm around her waist to press her back into his chest. She squirmed in his hold, but didn't resist, her head dropping down onto his shoulder.

"At least help me clean up the books you knocked over," she grumbled, plucking at his wrist with her fingers.

He released her with a pout, a lazy grin flashing over his face as he bent down around the table, snagging a book that had fallen open.

Natsu glanced at the pages purely by accident, his fingers skating across one of the brittle pages. They felt thick and familiar, almost like one he would have found at his old home in the fae realm. Curious, he lifted it in the air, his thumb drawing over the thick parchment and flicking through the pages.

His eyes were relaxed and unfocused, casually flipping through it with as much interest as he held while channel surfing.

But as he reached an image, his attention focused with the sharpness of a blade. Natsu froze, air freezing in his lungs like a rush of ice.

_Mavis._

But, why was an image of her doing in Lucy's records? The name 'Zeira' was under her name. But that was it. No other defining explanation or description was available. A simple name.

Realization and dawning horror began to creep over him as he looked down at the familiar, smiling face staring up at him from the pages. No, no. It wasn't possible. It _couldn't_ be possible.

Were the fates really that cruel?

"Lucy, your family name - was it always Heartfilia?" He asked, his lips barely moving from the numb shock freezing them. It was rare for him to feel cold, but right now ice flooded his body from the tips of his ears down to his toes. The warmth that had filled his body before had now all but abandoned him with his discovery.

"No," Lucy blinked as she looked over at him from over a stack of books she was picking up, "I think the name before the Heartfilia's was something a little unusual. Like a color?"

"Vermillion?" Natsu asked, his heart plunging to the soles of his feet as Lucy snapped her fingers and nodded.

"Yeah, that's the one," She smiled up at him, her head tilting towards him, "Why?"

Natsu swallowed his lips pressing into a fine line, his fingers turning the book to Lucy's face, "Mind telling me why this 'Zeira Vermillion' looks an awful lot like Mavis?"

It couldn't be.

That Lumen Histoire wasn't an object.

But a person?

Lucy was giving him a strange look, but he said nothing. The pieces were sliding together. Her lips, still swollen from his hungry kisses, parted when a gasp escaped her.

"Are you trying to say that I'm-"

Natsu crossed the room in a single stride to clap his hand over her mouth, raising a finger to his lips to silence her. His eyes narrowed and flashed around himself. Suddenly he was paranoid over them not being as safe as they could be. Natsu's stomach clenched as he saw how dangerous this had suddenly become.

He had every intention of using Lumen Histoire to finish the war once and for all. But now that he knew it was a person - and not just any person, but _Lucy_ \- its use was no longer an option.

"Don't say it," Natsu murmured into her ear, his eyes sharp, "You can never say it."

He must have looked pale and shaken, because Lucy didn't even argue the point. Her large, brown eyes were staring up at him. His heart folded in on itself when he saw the fear reflecting back at him. She was scared.

Natsu pulled his hand away from her mouth and took her hand to assure her, "It'll be okay."

"But lets get out of here," Natsu began to tug her towards the door, not even bothering to clean up the mess they left behind. Lucy looked a bit shaken, even as Natsu's hand squeezed hers to try to bring her some comfort. She was just nodding, clearly the need for them to regroup with the others was mounting.

Together they headed out of the archive room, locking it behind them.

They hadn't made it more than a few steps away when Jude approached them from around the bend. His hands slid into his suit jacket and he gave Lucy a sympathetic look.

A jolt ran up Natsu's spine and he froze, his hand still in Lucy's as he looked at Jude.

_He knew._

He had known this whole time.

But how?

"I told you before when you first asked as a little girl," Jude said into the solemn air, "That some pursuits of knowledge were better left unknown."

"You.. knew?" Lucy asked stiffy. Her eyes were wide in shock and horror, her hand becoming a vice grip around Natsu's.

Jude nodded. His eyes cast around with regret, his arms folded behind his back and lips thinned. It seemed he was struggling with something, words he didn't know how to say, since they had been quiet for so long.

"This was your mother's burden before it was yours, and her mother's before that," Jude said after a long moment of struggling to find the proper words. He squinted at Lucy, as if finally noticing her rumpled clothes, but chose not to comment on them for the moment.

"The magic is very powerful and as such comes with a huge cost to the mortals who hold it," He said regretfully, "Your mother died at a very young age."

Natsu felt his blood going cold in his veins. A sentiment followed by Lucy when her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

"I thought mom died because she was _sick_," Lucy whispered through stiff lips. Her entire body seemed to tremble in horror over this news. Natsu could only imagine what she was experiencing, and felt useless since he could do nothing to protect her from this fresh pain. It was a scar that had long since healed over, only for it to be torn open anew.

"She _was_ sick. The cost of her learning to use her magic from a young age caught up to her," Jude murmured, "Which was why we decided never to teach you about it. To let you grow up happy, and normal."

His eyes locked onto Natsu.

"When your mother died, I struggled with that," Jude murmured, "I wanted to keep a strict eye over your every movement, so nothing like that could happen to you."

Lucy was silent, her body swaying like a leave where she stood. Natsu stepped in closer to her, his mind reeling as he tried to think of something around this. He felt sick. The idea that this power she had would one day result in her early death made him nauseated beyond words.

_He had been teaching her magic._

Natsu needed some air. He pulled away from the conversation while Lucy and Jude talked, their voices tuning out into the background as he walked over to the nearby windows. Lucy didn't seem to notice his departure, she was so engrossed in the conversation with her father. Not that he blamed her. He was thrown off kilter and was trying to regroup.

The windows were large, stretching from floor to ceiling. the hallway was dotted with hundreds of windows like this, almost making it seem as if Lucy had grown up in a palace instead of an estate. A tanned hand dragged over the brass latch and shoved the glass open, a cool breeze floated in, Natsu's palms resting against the window sill.

The wind rustled through his hair and pressed against his face.

But instead of calming him, it made every muscle in his body tense.

Because the wind was carrying a new scent with it.

One he recognized.

He whipped around towards the humans and sprinted towards them, throwing out his arms to tackle them to the ground, "Get down!"

Not a second later, a rush of heat and explosive roared around them. The building cracked apart around them and he whipped around to inhale the flames before they could draw in too close to either humans. The smoke on the other hand was too thick to see much.

As such he didn't notice the knee that slammed under his chin until it was too late and he was sent through a wall, crushing through it like it were made from wet paper and legos instead of brick and mortar.

The building was crumbling around the very vulnerable humans, so Natsu ripped himself up from the impression his body had made on the ground and sprinted back the way he came.

This was Jackal's doing. Natsu recognized the taste of his fiery explosives and his stench a mile away.

Skidding through the rubble, he flung himself at the closest prone body and gathered it in his arms, rolling out of the way just as a marble pillar slammed into the ground and cracked in half.

When the smoke cleared Natsu had Jude's limp body in his arms, but no Lucy. He whipped his head around, setting the man down as he tried to pick up her scent in the debris.

Lucy's family home was torn apart and he wasn't even sure if her father was still alive.

But Jackal stood tall and proud among the destroyed remains of the archives. The shredded painting of Mavis fluttered, torn from its backing from the book and burning to ashes. Under him, with Lucy's head pinned to the ground and blood pouring through her blond hair, his claws dug into her skin.

Natsu snarled the moment he realized her predicament and surged forward, freezing a moment when Jackal's grip tightened warningly.

"Nut uh uh Boss man," Jackal gave him a sly smirk, claws scraping small cuts into the sides of Lucy's face. One wavered threateningly close to her eye, "My grip may _slip_."

His breath caught in his chest, fear made Natsu freeze for one wavering moment.

"I wonder if this girl is a fire dragon too," Jackal continued, golden eyes glaring sharp holes into Natsu, "Shall we find out how well she can withstand one of my explosions?"

Natsu's heart broke at the tears that stung in Lucy's eyes, her fingers curling into the broken bricks she was being shoved into. He hated seeing that look on her face, or how she turned her gaze away, helpless under the force of Jackal. She was trying to use her magic, Natsu could tell, but her control over it wasn't precise enough to summon it under these conditions.

He was grateful for that, not wanting that spark to ignite whatever poison lived in her that would send Lucy to an early grave.

She couldn't defend herself against the demons Natsu dragged into her life. No matter what she did, it could result in the end of her life.

"Wait!" Natsu shouted when Jackal's grip tightened around the back of Lucy's head. His hands lifting up in the air in surrender.

"Natsu don't go with him!" Lucy pleaded, looking more horrified over the fact he was giving up. But what else could he do? Anger roared through his veins as Jackal squeezed off the rest of Lucy's protests by a sharp hand around the back of her tender throat.

"He'll kill you Lucy!"

"He'll kill… me… anyway—" She choked out before her voice completely spluttered out. Her skin turned blotchy red from where Jackal's claws were trying to squeeze the life out of her in anger.

"Or I could just kill you now and be done with it!" The demon snarled in outrage over her impudence, "Don't think I won't put a few holes in your throat girlie."

"Wait, no!" Natsu shouted

Panic flooded through Natsu and he dropped down to his knees, rage pulsing through him with every heavy beat of his heart.

"Please. Don't," he begged.

He bowed his head, his grip shaking as his fingers twisted into his pants. He knew why Lucy didn't want him to surrender. To go back to Tartarus. They could damage him.

They could try to burrow their way back into his brain, twist his morality the way it had been before he met Igneel

He wouldn't let that happen.

But the war, his friends.

Could he really sacrifice everything for the sake of Lucy?

He loved her.

The human that wormed into his life and never left. He loved her enough to never want her hurt again. He would trust his friends, and he would come up with something. They always did. Fairy Tail was not about giving up, no matter how impossible the odds seemed. Even if he wasn't there to help them, Fairy Tail would win somehow.

Natsu had faith.

He gave Lucy a reassuring smile and nodded, "I'll be back before you know it."

"Liar," tears stung at Lucy's cheeks, but she struggled for a smile back at him.

Jackal's eyes rolled and he tossed a pair of gleaming silver manacles towards Natsu. A set he remembered all too well now. Natsu's gut wrenched and he picked them up.

"Good, you recall what these do to you, right?" Jackal smirked at Natsu, and his gut wrenched, "Put them on. Nice and snug."

Natsu reluctantly did as he was told, wincing as he felt his power beginning to drain the moment the first one sealed around his wrist. When the other one was fastened, Natsu suddenly felt light headed as his strength all but evaporated. Igneel and Mavis' magic together was just as strong as it had ever been.

He was almost proud.

Although he knew his father would be rolling over in his grave over how it was being used now.

Jackal tossed Lucy to the side, ignoring her pained cries as she was jerked onto the hard, broken slabs of marble. Natsu's head raised with alarm, angry eyes flashing towards Jackal and an animalistic snarl ripping from his throat, "You bastard!"

His demon just smirked down at Natsu and dropped his palm over Natsu's face.

"Maybe," He laughed quietly, golden lines appearing over his palm and arm, bleeding into Natsu's skin, "But I think it's time for you to take a nap now boss."

Natsu's eyes went wide as the bomb was set onto him. The light grew brighter underneath Jackal's hand, claws digging into the edges of Natsu's skin. Knowing without his magic, there was nothing Natsu could do to stop it, he grit his teeth and braced for impact.

"Night night boss."

The bomb exploded.

And Natsu's world went black.

-::-

Here you guys are. Chapter 16 of WaW, just for you. I hope you all were waiting for it. It's a long one omg.


	17. Walled

_**For those of you who don't follow me on tumblr, my computer broke. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this far!**_

-::-

Natsu awoke to the sound of dripping water. A steady trickle ran down his forehead, soaking into his hair and dropping down his suspiciously bare neck. Since where did he go anywhere without his scarf? He didn't have time to think the absence of it was strange because a gentle hand was pressing into his temple and forcing wakefulness into his limbs.

He grunted as he sat up sharply, awareness slamming back through his senses. His face came level with another's and just barely managed to stop himself from slamming his forehead with this new person's face.

The woman in front of him was soothing watery fingers across the crack he suffered to his head. Chilly water dripped from her palm, deep blue eyes met his, fathomless like the ocean. She had flowing blue locks of hair and a smile broke over her familiar face.

Natsu lunged for her and dragged the unsuspecting woman into a tight hug.

"Juvia!"

Natsu was greeted to her hand flattening against his face, stopping him mid-embrace and knocking him back onto the mattress. The water sprite, whom he had previously thought dead, was sitting before him, alive and well.

So many questions exploded in his head at once, making it throb and spin. He wanted to ask her how she had survived the supposed attack on Meredy, and if the other woman was okay. She had seemingly disappeared as well.

"Lie back," Juvia instructed, pressing a hand against his shoulder and pushing him back. The gentle command was accompanied by another shove, and Natsu complied.

"Gray thought you were dead," Natsu blurted out, his eyes wide on Juvia, "The link between Meredy and Ultear went dead so quickly, we were certain you were under attack!"

Surprise flashed over Juvia's face over the mention of Gray, her cheeks going rosy and giving her pale face a pink flush.

"Juvia was captured when she bought time for Meredy to escape. She believes Meredy went to find Lyon at Lamia Scale for reinforcements, and together they would head to Blue Pegasus to drive back the southern troops," Juvia replied, her fingers twisting in the raggedy blanket she was covered in.

Which directed Natsu to the unusual breeze he felt blowing around him.

Specifically around his waist.

He stared down at himself, and then back at Juvia.

They were both naked.

Well he was. It seemed Juvia had stolen the threadbare blanket on the cot he had been laying on. It was wrapped around her in a makeshift toga of sorts to hide her modesty. She was very shy about her body, except when it came to Gray.

So shy in fact, it seemed she had decided he was a pervery for staring at her for as long as he had, and delievered another smack to his face directly over his eyes.

"Natsu cannot look at Juvia! She is saving herself for Gray!" She declared, a bit shrilly. It was enough to make his head ache and he tugged his hand around her wrist.

"Juvia, I can't see."

"Good, that is the point!"

Natsu huffed and pulled backwards, unable to help but find the humor in Juvia's antics. Although he was miffed his clothes had been stolen. Tartarus still stripped their prisoners did they? Well at least they had given him a bed, terrible though it was, it was enough for him to figure they still remembered he was their king.

Even though he had a feeling they would be finding a work around that rather soon.

Or at the very least, a kind of punishment he wasn't likely to forget.

He turned away from Juvia and ripped the remaining sheet off the mattress, dragging it around his waist and tying it securely around his hips. After all, he didn't want Juvia to die of embarrassment. Now covered, he walked over to the door and ran a hand along the metal surface.

Feeling around for hinges or a weakspot to take advantage and knock loose, he grit his teeth when he realized there wasn't even a handle to kick out. The walls glittered with an odd sheen of silvery metal that looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place where.

The room they were sealed in was totally seamless.

"Juvia has already checked everywhere," The sprite approached him, pointedly not dropping her gaze below his neck. Resisting the urge to blow a raspberry at her, Natsu just nodded and glanced out the single tiny slot in the door. It was a glass window, plated thick enough and spelled to withstand a hard strike. It was their only source of light in the room so he was a little impressed Juvia had managed to do so much fumbling around in the dark.

She was a sprite, but she didn't have his eyes. Even with his sharp sight, he was having trouble making out more than a dull gleam of metal walls and the scarce furniture around them. Even more unusual was the fact he could tell there was no food slot.

This was a temporary prison. Not expected for anyone to be in here more than a couple of days at most.

"They moved Juvia here from her cell shortly before they brought Natsu in," she said calmly. Lifting her hands, Natsu realized she was unbound. She had access to her magic. Glancing down at his own wrists, he realized his manacles were also gone as well.

But he felt a little strange.

"Alright then!" Natsu tried to ignore the sense of unease he felt. Why had Mard Geer unchained them in this room and brought them together? It was common knowledge they were comrades. It was even more obvious they would try to escape this strange cell together.

Giving them access to their magic, especially after they had gone through so many pains to bind Natsu sent his instincts on edge.

Still, who was he to deny the opportunity presented him.

"Lets bust out of here Juvia!" He growled, fire igniting around his fists. The light of his flames cast a familiar glow around the room, casting wide, thick shadows over their surroundings.

He twisted at the waist, jetting himself forward to a wall, his knuckles coming into contact with hard metal. Having expected the metal to at least fold outward, Natsu was surprised when nothing gave under his fist.

Swearing, he jumped backwards, taking a deep lungful of air. He roared out a plume of fire, focusing on the same spot he had previously struck. This time Natsu poured his magic into the attack, and the whole room was encompassed by flames.

"Natsu watch it!" Juvia let out a shriek and danced back to the middle of the room where she was back to back with Natsu. His fire had hit the wall, but slid across the edges before dissipating. It puffed out, harmless.

Natsu's jaw dropped when he saw not even a scratch had been left behind.

"What! Seriously?" He protested, "That was a whole bunch of magic! You're telling me it did nothing?"

"Juvia tried to escape before, but found no way out," She glanced at him, patting out a tiny flame on the bottom of her makeshift gown.

However something became apparent the moment his flames illuminated the walls, so he wasn't paying much attention to Juvia. His eyes sharpened and adjusted to the dark. But what he saw on the walls sent his gut rushing down into his feet.

Tiny script in an ancient language was etched into the surface. It was intricate and filled every square inch of the cell. But furthermore, it was written not in a demonic tongue, but a fairy one.

Juvia's eyes went wide as she touched a wall, "Juvia did not see these when she tried to break out earlier, there was not enough light. This is a very old writing."

Natsu remained frozen as he stared at the writing, both familiar and horrifying as an oblivious Juvia moved along the walls, hands sliding over the text.

"Juvia is not sure she can read this," Juvia admitted, crouched down low in front of a tangle of words neither of them could understand. Natsu drew in close to her, his hand illuminating the words closest to Juvia.

"Give it a shot," Natsu glanced at the fairy. He recognized the text as being very old. Just as old as him.

But it couldn't be what he thought it was. That was impossible. Because only one of those things existed and he had _just_ seen it. Natsu's wrists ached.

Juvia gave him a determined nod and set forth reading. Her mouth opened wordlessly, her fingers skimming over intricate lettering. Natsu waited in agony, his thoughts rebelling through the inside of his head and demanding to make themselves known.

She moved from one side of the room to the other and Natsu had to force himself to get up and follow her to give her enough light to work. Remaining silent as she studied was a fresh kind of torture he didn't favor.

Eventually she whipped around and gave him a heated glare, her pale face scrunched up in irritation. Natsu took two large, alarmed steps backwards as he saw how her eyes were narrowed in irritation. Whenever a woman of Fairy Tail gave him a look like that, it usually meant he had done something stupid or insensitive. Bodily harm was the typical response at that point.

"Juvia would like it if Natsu made his fire a little less vibrant, she is made of water and does not much care for the heat," Juvia said in frustration.

Oh.

Okay he could fix that.

Natsu could tell the heat was starting to get to her. His flames weren't that large, but he could see beads of sweat forming along her forehead and temples. She was a water sprite, and who knew how long she had been in this tight room without access to her element.

"Sorry," Natsu made the flame smaller, the flicker just resting in his palm as he brought the small glow closer. He bit his lip to concentrate on keeping it at an even temperature, which meant he had to bring it closer so it illuminated the words.

"Seal…" Juvia's mouth worked out the words, but she shook her head, "No, that doesn't make sense. Juvia does not understand…"

She mumbled more to herself as she tried to puzzle out the meaning between the words, unable to understand even what a little of it meant.

After a moment of frustrated grumbling, she turned on him, her dark eyes narrowed in anger.

"Natsu! Juvia already asked you once to make your flame smaller! It is hot in here!" She exclaimed, discomfort clear on her face.

This time Natsu frowned in irritation. He felt absolutely fine. In fact he thought it was a little chilly, but Juvia was already uncomfortable. Was it because she hung out with that ice-bastard all the time?

"I can't make the flame any smaller," Natsu protested, gesturing the tiny spark at the walls, "You won't be able to see the words."

Juvia frowned as she looked at it, then at Natsu. She bit her bottom lip, as if contemplating what he was saying, "Yes. Natsu is right, Juvia is sorry—"

She hesitated, "But does Natsu really not feel warm?"

"What, are ya stupid?" Natsu asked, clueless. He held up his ball of fire as if that explained everything, "I literally eat fire. Why would I feel warm over _anything_?"

To be fair, the jet of water he got to the face was probably deserved. The flame was smothered in the dousing of water he got from Juvia, and he was busy spluttering out a mouthful of the stuff.

"Ack! What was that for!"

Juvia huffed. The room was pitch black again, but Natsu could make out her features fine. The sprite was less sensory inclined, so she was wagging a finger at him, off center. Natsu took her wrist and pointed it at himself so she could more accurately chide him.

"Thank you!" Juvia huffed and then prodded his chest with her index finger, "Juvia did not mean if Natsu got hot! Just if he could feel the temperature of the room! It is stifling in here!"

He gave her a long, curious look. Clarity dawned over him and he shook his head. The room?

"No? It feels cool in here to me," Natsu said without understanding, "I feel fine."

Actually, he felt better than fine. There was a happy bubble of power building in his chest like water boiling in a pot.

Natsu's stilled when he felt that odd flicker run through his body. Like a switch he had felt only once before. It was a tickle behind his eyes, a splitting in his head and an itch just under his shoulder blades. In Lucy's bathroom he had felt this rolling power before. At that time he had come close to losing complete control and destroying everything around him.

An uneasy twist in his gut made him realize there might be a more nefarious reason for putting them in this strange prison.

"I see you've begun to notice it is a little _warm_ in there," the low, rumbling voice of Mard Geer caught his attention.

The false king stood outside their cell, apparently having been observing their fumbling through the dark from the tiny slot in the door.

"Hey you bastard," Natsu growled, head swiveling towards the demon, "What're you doing mugging around here? Don't you have some love letters you need to finish writing to Zeref?"

"Perhaps in a bit," Mard Geer replied with a gamely purr. Cold eyes drifted between Natsu and Juvia, like a snake considering its meal. He didn't anger, or rise to the bait set by Natsu. No, instead he held himself with a frustrating air that set Natsu's teeth on edge.

"You have caused us some problems Master End," Mard Geer frowned.

The air hung between them, sticky and hot, but Juvia lifted herself gracefully, as if she were not dressed in nothing but a bedsheet.

"Natsu is his name now! Not End," Juvia protested, her fae temper flaring at the perceived slight to her friend. Natsu's eyes caught Juvia's firm look, and he felt his chest lift.

No matter the situation they always found themselves in, his friends had always accepted him. Demon, Dragon or Fairy, Natsu was Natsu. He only hoped this would not serve to disappoint them in the long run. The faith they had in him was boundless.

However the look of cool disgust Mard Geer leveled on Juvia sent Natsu's guts twisting in his stomach.

"Ah yes, you fairies do call him by the title given to him by Igneel," He said with a snide air, "That wretched reptile still fools with my plans even centuries after his death – not that it matters any more. "

"In truth, I owe him a great favor."

Natsu hesitated before he let the bubble of pride he felt for his father swell through him. Whatever connection he had to this demon right now was far more important. Especially as they apparently had no real way of protecting themselves.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He demanded. A trickle of sweat worked down his neck, trailing down his spine and soaking into the wrap around his waist. He was afraid to put together the clues laid out before him.

Neither his, nor Juvia's attacks even dented the wall, much less left a scratch.

"I believe you know the answer," the demon looked smug and it became clear he was unable to resist explaining himself. Under normal circumstances, Natsu would plug his ears and sing loudly over Mard Geer's obnoxious talking, but in this case he was actually curious. It had something to do with Igneel. And that made him worried.

"Thanks to some simple changes, we were able to change the shape of the cuffs those wretches chained you in centuries ago," he continued, "The Fae have such an interesting and _extensive_ knowledge base. Plenty of books to teach us how it was made—or how to altar its shape. This was its original shape, but Igneel and Mavis changed it to chains for ease of capture."

"So you'll find you have access to your powers while inside that room, not that it will do you any good," he finished.

"And what was the point in dragging Juvia in here then?" The water sprite demanded, "Mard Geer cannot be foolish enough to believe Natsu and Juvia will not try to escape together!"

Mard Geer's cruel eyes landed on her. Natsu felt a shiver of unease and a bead of sweat trailing down the side of his neck. The smile growing on the demon's face let Natsu know that whatever purpose Juvia was here for, it was not going to be for any reason they would like.

"After betraying his kind for so long, Master End must be punished before he is allowed to reclaim his throne," his voice came deadly and low, like a snake getting ready to strike, "Because of the nature of this prison and your reliance on water to survive, Natsu's natural power will continue to build while he is trapped within these walls."

He laughed then. It was a hard, cruel sound that made the blood drain from both of his prisoner's faces. Natsu felt as if his stomach was getting strangled.

"Natsu will be the one to kill you," the demon smirked, "and he won't even have to lift a finger to take your life."

The silence that filled between Natsu and Juvia was thick enough to strangle an army of dragons. Never had Natsu felt sicker over who and what he was. His own power, which he knew was extremely powerful in his demonic state, was to be used in an uncontrollable weapon to kill one of his family members.

Never had he wanted to rebel against his own skin before than he had in that moment.

He rushed at the door, a furious roar breaking free from his lungs. Slamming his fists against it uselessly, his eyes flared red in his anger, "You bastard! I'll burn you to ash!"

His roars were defeaning in their fury and he never stopped his pounding against the metal wall. Mard Geer had the audacity to smirk at him.

"Unlikely," He laughed, "After you kill your friend we will take you to be reconditioned. You won't even remember the sprite you had a hand in killing. And even if you did, I doubt you would care much at all."

Mard Geer pressed in close to the slot where Natsu's burning eyes were glaring at him with so much hate. Had he been on the other side of the door, he was certain to be vaporized under Natsu's eyes alone. It wouldn't be long before they had their king back.

"You won't remember any of them as anything but your enemies— not even the human girl you became so fond of," He purred to him, and gave Natsu a mocking smile. The demon's dark eyes cast to the ceiling before meeting Natsu's furious gaze, "Who knows, perhaps once you're in your right mind again you'll be interesting in killing the human wretch yourself."

He took a step back as Natsu's rage mounted and he threw himself uselessly into the door again, his temper causing his magic to flare and body to tremble. Mard Geer thought the other side of the door even felt a little warm as Natsu's body pressed into it.

An impressive display of magic to be sure.

He let loose a low, mocking chuckle.

"You may want to calm down my lord," Mard Geer tapped the warm door to get the demon king's attention, "Your cellmate may not like the temperature."

Fury was lined over every inch of Natsu's face, but at those cold words, it was like a bucket of Gray's Absolute Zero ice had crashed down onto his head. His roars broke down into quiet growls as Mard Geer disappeared out of sight. The demon practically swept down the corridors as if he owned them.

The dark halls of Tartarus.

Back home so Natsu could be brainwashed back to their side.

He looked over his shoulder at Juvia. She was flushed from the heat of his temper, but was okay for the time being. Aside from the fact she couldn't hide her fear. Natsu's stomach twisted and he looked away. In Fairy Tail his temper was infamous, but right now it could get Juvia killed.

Gulping down a few lungfuls of air, he fought to cool his anger.

A cool touch to his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts.

"Juvia is confident we will find a way out of this," The sprite's voice was calming, like the gentle, rolling waves of the ocean, "Do not be afraid. Natsu will not hurt Juvia."

He felt a roll of magic under his skin, twisting through his stomach and rising in his chest. It wanted to break free, whether or not it was given an outlet.

Jerking his shoulder out from under Juvia's hand, he whirled around and gave her a wide eyed look. He couldn't guarantee her safety. In fact at the moment, that was the furthest thing from reality. He gripped her slender shoulders with overly warm hands and gave her an intense look.

"You're right. Fairy Tail never gives up, so neither will we," He growled firmly, "But until we find a way to get out of here, we need to buy you time."

Juvia blinked at Natsu uncomprehendingly for a moment before she seemed to follow his train of thought and nodded. The hands on Juvia were bound to be hot and uncomfortable for her, but there was nothing he could do about that for the time being. He ripped off a strip of fabric from the bottom of his covering and moved over to the bed to wrench out a metal rod from the support.

He wrapped the fabric around it and lit it on fire, handing the torch over to Juvia, "If you knock me out, there's a chance it'll slow the process down. If I'm not awake, the magic may not get out."

She accepted the makeshift light with a grim nod.

"Juvia will try to decipher the text on the walls," She said tensely as Natsu separated. She watched him scoot all the way to the opposite side of the room, as far away from her as he was able to get, "Perhaps there is a way to escape written on the walls."

"Alright Juvia, it sounds like a plan," He grinned at his friend and bounced up on his heels. He was acting more energetic than he actually felt, but was rewarded when Juvia gave him a soft look of thanks. Clearly this was not easy on her at all, "Lay one on me!"

The water sprite bit her bottom lip, giving Natsu an apologetic look. But this was just a temporary fix. If they couldn't come up with another solution in time, then they were going to be in serious trouble. Juvia, for obvious reasons..

And Natsu for more sinister ones.

"Juvia is sorry," She breathed through stiff lips, her eyes wide and apologetic. She bit her bottom lip and raised a hand, a bubble of water beginning to rise around her.

Natsu fought not to brace himself against the tide of magic that was about to rush over him. Instead he just gave her a grin.

"It's okay Juvia. Do it."

The fae gave him an answering nod, swallowing around a tight knot in her throat. She lifted a palm, shielding the torch behind her.

"_Water Nebula!"_

The funnel of water emerged, lightening fast and hard. It crossed the small cell in less time than it took for Natsu to take a breath and curved upwards. It slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs and threw him into the ceiling before twisting and crushing him back into the wall. It didn't give under the impact of his body or the weight of the attack so the shock reverberated through his spine.

Natsu dropped to the floor, groaning. He felt almost as if his head had been cracked open. His vision went foggy as he watched Juvia's feet running over towards him. The water steamed from the floor where his body hit, but he was distracted from that odd observation when he felt her feather soft touch graze somewhere near his neck.

They both had important people to get back to and this was the way it would happen.

His eyes closed and once again, he let the darkness consume him.

-::-

_**And here we are on the downward slope. See you guys next chapter! **_


	18. Stand Up

It was hard to believe in the span of an hour, Lucy's life could go from hectic yet enjoyable - to terrible beyond comprehension. The shift took didn't just take her by surprise, it attacked her on all fronts. The ground shifted under her feet and crumbled without mercy.

Ignoring the very real problem of Natsu's kidnapping was the only way she was capable of functioning. She could only deal with one problem at a time, and her father was in very real danger.

Jude was in such terrible shape, she wasn't sure he would survive. There were so many conversations Lucy still needed to have with her father, but her tongue was still. Lodged to the roof of her mouth, she couldn't even speak. They had so many things they had to fight over and make amends for. The years of isolation broken by the hesitant extension of peace.

Lucy moved in a fog, ugly bruises decorating her throat and darkening in the jagged print of a hand. Lucy's smaller one lifted to trace the tender skin in a haze, tears spiking into her eyes at the memory of that rough, unfamiliar claw forcing into her skin. Her chest tightened in painful memory, remembering Natsu's expression.

Tight with fear, wild eyed and desperate. He had been willing to sacrifice himself without a moments pause.

She had marched him into the grasp of his enemies. All because she couldn't fight back.

How useless could she be? It was pathetic.

A gentle touch to her shoulder nearly had Lucy jumping six feet out of her skin. She whirled around, a short scream bubbling in her chest. It died when she spotted Levy standing there looking concerned.

That was right. Lucy called her from the hospital to let her know what happened. She had been in a daze, but managed to compartmentalize enough of her fresh trauma to let Levy know about Natsu and the attack to her father.

When Levy arrived, a stone faced Gajeel flanked her side. Lucy had gone still, unable to meet the metal dragon's unbending gaze. Raw guilt washed over her, knowing that despite the rough relationship the dragons seemed to have with one another, they were close.

Even if they denied it.

He just shook his head, his jaw tightening in irritation to Lucy's wordless apology.

"Quit starin' at me like that blondie," He had said gruffly, "We'll get Salamander back."

Levy was the real curious one.

The moment her eyes clapped on Lucy, it was almost as if some odd wave crashed over her. She staggered as if struck, her mouth opening as silent words seemed seconds away from spilling out in shock. Gajeel seemed to pick up on her distress, but had nothing to say as Levy shook the cobwebs clear in her head. Lucy didn't get why Levy was staring at her as if she had grown a second head.

Whatever Levy saw when she looked at Lucy, it was clear it could wait.

At the moment though, her friend extended a paper cup of coffee to her, a sympathetic expression in her eyes. The gesture was much appreciated even though Lucy thought for sure the coffee would taste like ash in her mouth.

"Easy Lu, it's just me," She sad down next to Lucy, her gaze severe and focused. She sighed, sagging down in the seat next to her friend, the vinyl creaking under her weight.

The air was stagnant around them, echoing footsteps from nurses and doctors heading from one direction to another. Lucy felt like crying, this place was too familiar in its quiet. Too sad. A memory bubbled to the surface, unbidden.

One where she was a little girl, afraid and wondering where her mother had gone.

It was haunting and strange.

The thought came to her in a distant wave, settling an uneasy feeling of de-ja-vu through Lucy's senses.

Her life had been so quiet since her mother died. The tedium of working and existing rang like a soundless bell, filling her ears with nothing. Lucy became used to being deaf.

At least until Natsu slammed into her life and made it overflow with the crackling of fireworks. Each boom deafening as it cracked against the sky.

At first, the sound was painful. The booms unwelcome and frightening in the placid silence she was used to. Fireworks had no business in her life. They had no purpose in the role she played. They were too exciting and obtrusive.

But then she noticed something as soon as she got used to the cracking explosions.

As her ears began to stop ringing, colors flooded through the sky. They painted the night sky and illuminated the stars in a rainbow. It painted Leo in the summer in reds, and Scorpio in the winter with blues.

Natsu's presence brought her so much excitement.

Who would have thought a demon could have such an impact on her life? And who could have predicted how his sudden disappearance would usher in a silence even more deafening than what she had previously experienced.

The absence of noise was more crushing than anything else.

Lucy hated the quiet now.

She looked at Levy, hands tightening around the coffee cup, the warmth leeching into her fingers. It wasn't enough. Lucy still felt cold. A persistent chill from the hospital.

"Thanks," she whispered, fingers grasping the cup, a hollow smile drawing over her face. It faltered a moment later when Lucy took in the absence of her friend's moody shadow.

"Where's Gajeel?" She asked.

At the way Levy's teeth worried her bottom lip, Lucy already knew the answer. Gajeel was gone. No doubt he had left to try and find a way to retrieve Natsu, a mess they had gotten into all thanks to Lucy. Thanks to her inability to stand up and fight. She didn't blame them for keeping that to themselves.

Helping them was impossible.

Natsu was gone now because of her. And her father was in surgery.

"He's meeting with Erza, Gray and Jellal to plan a way into Tartaros," Levy said with some reluctance. Ignoring the slight jab to her heart she felt when she realized Levy was being kept informed, Lucy nodded. At least she could trust her friend to let her know what was going on.

She hoped that wherever his prison laid, Natsu was safe. Or at the very least he was being treated well.

"Lu," Levy sighed, detecting the signs of distress fighting to make themselves known, "You have to know we were going to tell you, but with your dad- "

Her heart sank at the mention of Jude, shaky hands lifted the cup to her lips. If Levy could tell she was trying to find something to busy her hands with, she said nothing. Lucy clearly held no interest in coffee anymore.

In her haste to drink the hot liquid, it scalded her tongue. Lucy flinched at the temperature. It had been such a long time since she had to worry about something as silly as waiting for something to cool. Natsu was always good at maintaining the temperature of her coffee in the morning whenever he made some. At first it had resulted in there shattered pots and a drenched demon. Plue had a lot of fun licking up the ground beans from his pants.

Lucy remembered the first time Natsu tried to unsuccessfully work her coffee pot. Lucy entered into the kitchen with Plue circling her feet. Natsu was standing there, holding just the handle of the pot and a crushed bottle of creamer in the other hand. It leaked out between tan fingers. They shook in frustration, but his expression had been priceless.

Utter shock.

Steaming, coffee soaked hair made his bangs flop forward into his eyes. But the moment he saw her, he gave her a sunny smile to chase away her anger over the mess he made.

_"Good Morning Lucy!"_

Lucy jolted at the memory of his voice, jarring her back into the present.

She wasn't at home enjoying a sleepy Saturday morning with Natsu.

She was in the hospital, waiting to see if her father would survive his surgery.

"We're taking care of Natsu," Levy's small hand patted her knee, "Keep focused on your dad."

Nodding was the only motion she could make. Depression oozed into Lucy's limbs, her body sagging the moment Levy drifted away to call Gajeel.

All she could do was sit and wait.

Wait for news on Natsu and her father.

-::-

Lucy didn't have long to wait.

Jude didn't make it through the night. No matter Natsu's efforts to save the man, it seemed his life had been sealed the moment the walls crumbled.

It was so strange the way Jude's grim faced doctor spoke to her. It was almost as if he spoke through a funnel. His words were garbled and meaningless. Lucy felt the floor give way under her feet, but strangely enough, she didn't fall.

She felt like she was floating.

The few seconds before she would fall.

In a blink of an eye, Jackal had taken everything from her. Lucy felt hollow, all the conversations she never would have a chance to say with her father bubbling up on her tongue and leaving a bitter after taste in her mouth.

Levy drove her home, the ride silence, the air heavy. There was nothing which could be said, and in all honesty, there was nothing Lucy wanted to hear.

Her friends station wagon pulled up to her apartment. Lucy wasted no time getting out of the car. It had been a long day, so all she wanted to do was drop her bags off inside her home and sleep for a century. Her father's lawyer had been contacted, displeased over having been disturbed in the middle of the night but sobering fast at the news he was presented. Funeral arrangements would be taken care of within the next couple of days.

Remembering back when her mother died, her father moved life as if he were a shadow. The arrangements were taken care of, but Jude seemed almost as if he had never stopped to truly grieve for the loss o f his wife. It was always the next step.

Now Lucy did the same. There was a hollowness to her heart she didn't know how to fill.

Levy's hand guided her up the steps to her empty little apartment.

Both froze in the entryway.

The apartment, from ceiling to floor, was in shambles. Someone ransacked the place, leaving nothing upturned. Lucy's jaw dropped open, Levy's hands flying to her mouth in a horrified gasp.

Her home had been ransacked while she was at the hospital.

Yeah.

That seemed about right for the way this day was going.

_No_, Lucy's inner voice whispered, trying to make sense of what happened. This had to have happened earlier. Much earlier.

Jackal was here.

At once the strength drained from wobbly knees. Lucy dropped to the floor, ignoring Levy's cry of surprise and hands on her shoulders.

"Lu, come on, we should call the police," Levy tried, rolling her shoulders forward.

Stubborn, Lucy shook her head, lips thinning in irritation. There was no point. She already knew who did this to her home. That stupid demon. He had no doubt followed them her to her father's home. Jackal couldn't be content just taking Natsu - he had to ruin everything he touched too.

Scanning her eyes over her belongings was more than enough proof.

Scorch marks branded themselves occasionally through her apartment, littered over all of Lucy's things.

The shock of seeing her apartment in ruin was too much. As far as last straws went, it was a pretty small one in the grand scheme of things, but Lucy was a hairsbreadth away from a complete melt down. A sob broke free from her throat and she tucked her chin into her chest. She stayed where she was, crumbled on the floor as she tried to muffle the choking wails that struggled from her throat.

Levy's hands fluttered uselessly around her shoulders, and Lucy shook her head, unable to be around her friend any longer.

"Please just leave me alone Levy," Lucy whimpered, her pride the only thing keeping her from completely disintegrating under the force of her boiling over emotions. Alone in her ruined apartment. That was what she wanted.

Alone with her grief.

But that wasn't what was on Levy's mind.

"I'm sorry Lucy, I can't leave you. Not like this," Levy murmured, bending down to set her fingers lightly under Lucy's messy bangs. She looked into Lucy's puffy, red rimmed eyes and smiled.

"This is just the beginning."

"What?" Lucy asked, not able to clarify what her friend was talking about past the grief throbbing in her head, the snot from her nose, or the tears dribbling down her chin.

"So what If everything in the past day has literally blown up in your face?"

"Thanks Levy, that's real comforting," Lucy's response came low and bitter, an unhappy reminder that she had been defeated on every emotional front as of late.

Her friend didn't seem interested in giving up though. In fact, the unenthusiastic way Lucy spoke only seemed to galvanize her. Levy grabbed a hold of Lucy's shoulders and gave her a rough shake that was surprisingly forceful considering her diminutive size.

"You can still do something. I have to believe that!" Levy insisted, "the moment I saw you after a couple of days of being apart, I knew what you were."

"I don't know what happened between you and Natsu, I can only assume your bond is gone since he's been kidnapped, but it must have been shielding my sight from the truth," Levy murmured, "END is a powerful demon, so strong it could mask the signs of Lumen Historie within you."

Did that mean Natsu was protecting her with that mask without even realizing it?

Lucy was surprised though. Levy had come out of no where and simply announced it as if it were nothing. It was a secret Lucy had planned on holding until her dying breath. For Levy to say this with no clues provided...

"How did you-?" Lucy began, but was cut off by the sad smile from her friend.

"Did you forget?" Levy asked, reaching out to cradle Lucy's hand in hers. Somehow Lucy was able to draw in a little bit of comfort from her friend, "it was no coincidence you and I met one another. Since you and Natsu rescued me and my friends from those weird shadow things."

"I'm the one who can tell where Lumen Hisotire is," she finished, eyelashes shadowing her expression, "I knew the moment I saw you when Natsu was gone. I knew you were aware of it too, just by the expression on your face."

Lucy shook her head as if Levy's words were physically trying to cling to her. Which was almost frightening. She had forgotten about Levy's sharpness. A sudden fear gripped Lucy and she looked pleadingly at her friend.

"Did you tell the others about me?" She demanded.

"Of course not," Levy waved off the fear. In fact she appeared a little insulted by the insinuation she would do anything to make her friend unhappy. Offended or not, Levy chose not to say anything to that regard, instead understanding Lucy was having the day from Hell. For that it was appreciated.

"Can you imagine if I had said anything about this in front of Gajeel?" Levy asked Lucy in a conspiratorial whisper. She spoke from behind a raised hand, as if she was afraid the metal dragon was around and lurking somewhere.

Her face hardened and Lucy found herself being gripped by very tight hands. Brown eyes met brown, a hot intensity burning behind them that had Lucy's mouth running dry.

"I don't care about what that dummy would do, and neither should you Lucy," Levy announced, "you keep thinking you're useless, but you're the most important person in this little adventure of ours."

"How," Lucy questioned, more dull than actual interest behind her wavering voice.

Levy gave her another fierce shake.

"You are Lumen friggen Histoire," Levy declared, as if it were something important, "you can do whatever the hell you want!"

"Except save my dad," Lucy shot back, a little hot tempered. Levy's expression turned grave, fingers loosening around Lucy's shoulders. Her friend nodded.

"Yeah," Lucy was released, but Levy's finger jabbed her in the chest, "your dad is dead, we can't do anything to change that. You're right."

"But Natsu is still alive," Levy plowed on before she could be interrupted, "you can save him."

Her fingers folded together, contemplating saying anything else. Her eyes scanned over Lucy's ruined apartment, but remained silent for a long moment. Awkward quiet dragged between them, but Lucy made no attempt to break it. Despite herself, Lucy was interested in what Levy would have to say.

"You know," Levy whispered. Her eyes flashed down to her hands where they knotted into the hem of her shirt. Her throat worked overtime and Lucy imagined she was trying to swallow a lump so her voice wouldn't waver.

"No one would blame you if you didn't try, I wouldn't," Levy met Lucy's gaze, "you've lost a lot today. No one else expects you to want to fight anymore. You don't have to."

Levy headed to the door, but rested a hand on Lucy's shoulder. Her fingers squeezed, a heavy sigh puffing out against a lock of hair. Thin arms made their way around Lucy, curling one over her shoulders and the other twisted around her waist.

"But you need to know, you aren't useless," Levy tucked her chin on Lucy's. Shoulder, "okay?"

A strangled sob managed to make its way up Lucy's throat, bubbling up and breaking free in a soul shaking escape for the first time since Jackal attacked. She flung her arms around her friend, breaking down on Levy's slim, but strong shoulders. Her friend held her, rocking up on the balls of her feet and back onto her heels, pulling Lucy into the swaying motion to comfort her.

"I can't lose anyone else-" Lucy's voice came out strangled and thin even to her own ears, "my dad, Natsu-"

Levy hummed in agreement, her fingers twisting through blond hair, "we'll get him back."

Lucy sniffed, but pulled away enough from Levy to snag a hold of a charred blanket that had been tossed closer to the door. She used it to dab at her tears and wipe her runny nose. She gave Levy a confused look, one of burgeoning determination.

"How?" Lucy asked, her voice raw and shaky.

Levy grasped her hands, folding them together and squeezing Lucy's fingers. A sad smile lifted her cheeks enough for Lucy to slowly return it.

"I've got just the idea."

* * *

_**AND IT'S BACK. What's a Witch is going to be finished I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL FINISH THIS FIC. I mentioned it a few times to people in PM and on tumblr, but my old computer ate my last two chapters of this fic which sort of killed my motivation. I've been working on several other projects in the meantime. One being Trial by Fire with the lovely Snogfairy and Toxineena, and the other being Parallels with the always wonderful Kytrin!**_

_**Anyway, thanks to everyone for encouraging me to keep pushing through! My chapter count is now a tad off though! So hang tight guys!**_


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